Central bankers can be inscrutable folk.

They issue statements regarding the economy that can sometimes be a bit enigmatic and vague.

Economists and journalists pore over every word of each press release, trying to read between the lines and guess at what the central banker is thinking and planning.

At other times, however, central bankers are more forthright.

They issue what is known as “forward guidance”: clearcut statements about the likely course of future monetary policy.

They may plainly state that at their next scheduled meeting, interest rates will be going up (or down). People are able to make decisions about mortgages or loans based on that foreknowledge.

Don’t you wish that God offered “forward guidance”?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if God let you know in advance what’s coming down the pike in your life?

If He told you, “On March 27th you’ll be offered a promotion,” you could stop wondering if you should change jobs.

If He said, “By this time next year you’ll finally be pregnant,” you could start decorating the new baby’s room.

If God assured you, “That legal situation will be all resolved by the summer,” you could rest easy that those difficulties will soon be behind you and won’t drag on for years.

You wouldn’t worry so much about the future, because God would have mapped it out for you.

The truth is, God doesn’t often tell us about the future course of our lives with such specific detail.

He does, however, issue a type of forward guidance that we can set store by.

There are promises in the Bible that God has given us about our future as believers. There are things that God has said He will always do, and we can bank on them.

God said, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”

Jesus promised, “I will be with you always, even unto the end of the age.”

Scripture says that God loves us immeasurably, that His mercies are new every morning, and that He is always ready to forgive and restore us.

We are promised that God will direct our steps, that He has blessings in store for us, and that the Holy Spirit can give us wisdom and comfort in our challenges.

Most importantly, He has given us clear foreknowledge about our ultimate destination as believers: we will be with Him in Heaven for eternity.

We may not know the specific details of our future, but God has given us enough “forward guidance” that we can step into each tomorrow in faith.

We can trust that He loves us and will always take care of us.

And you can take that to the bank!

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’ ”

Isaiah 30:21

© 2022 Lori J. Cartmell. All rights reserved.