Remember the Future
"a light for revelation to the Gentiles," Luke 2:32a.

Tim sighed as he gazed out over Abu Dhabi, capital of United Arab Emirates.
Mosques and modern office buildings funded by oil wealth punctuated the
skyline. A brilliant sunset graced the Persian Gulf. "It's hard to believe
that soon I'll be back in the classroom. Thanks, Mel, for letting me spend
the holidays with you."

"Thank you," Mel replied, "for coming to see my corner of God's mission
field. Your visit has been an inspiration to me."

Tim furrowed his brow. "I hate to put a damper on your enthusiasm, but I
don't feel inspired. I'm overwhelmed by this country where Christmas is
hardly noticed because 85 percent of the people are Muslims. I've met lots of your
Muslim friends, but they don't appear ready to change their religion. If you
look at past trends, your task appears almost hopeless."

"I don't look at the past," Mel said. "I look to the future."

"But the philosopher George Santayana warned, 'Those who do not remember the
past are condemned to relive it.'"

"Remind me never to argue with a history professor," Mel quipped. Then he
continued, "On one hand you're right, my friend. Missionaries to Muslims
have learned from the errors of the past. We try not to offend Muslims with
harsh attacks. We patiently seek to win a hearing for the Gospel through
friendship and Christ-like kindness."

"That's good."

"On the other hand, if I dwell on the failures of the past, I'll give up. So
my philosophy is 'Christians who don't remember the future may miss out on
it.'"

"The desert heat has fried your brain. How can anyone remember the future?"

Mel picked up his Bible. "Remember the story of old Simeon meeting the baby
Jesus in the Temple?"

"Yeah."

"Well, Simeon was someone who remembered the future. Luke says, 'He was
waiting for the consolation of Israel' (2:25). He had even been told that he
wouldn't die before the Savior was born."

"I'm starting to get what you mean," Tim said. "Through the Messianic
promises, Simeon knew the future and was expecting God to keep His word."

"Right!"

"But what does that have to do with you sharing Christ in United Arab
Emirates 2,000 years later?"

"In Luke 2:32, Simeon describes God's salvation as 'a light for revelation
to the Gentiles.' This verse is just one of many mission promises in the
Bible. Even though I don't know specifically who or how many of my Muslim
friends will come to believe, some of them surely will, because God--who
knows the future--has promised that Christ's Good News is going to illuminate
the nations, even this small nation of two million people. Rather than
dwelling on the past, I'm remembering the future, 'cause I don't want to
miss out on it."

"Neither do I," Mel agreed. "I'll be praying for you and the people here."

1. What lessons have you learned by remembering the past?
2. What is the difference between remembering the past and dwelling on the past?
3. What do we learn about the future from Luke 2:29-32 and other mission promises?