Wise People Look Ahead

Wise People Look Ahead
by Rick Warren


The wise man looks ahead. The fool attempts to fool himself and won't face facts. Proverbs 14:8 (TLB)
"The Bible says we're wise to look ahead. By doing that, we'll be prepared to spot the pitfalls when they come into our lives. "

Many people in life start out well but they end up poorly because they don't plan for the pitfalls. But the Bible says the wise man looks ahead.

So, this week I want us to look at some common barriers that will keep you from becoming all God wants you to be in the next ten years. These are the things that will keep you from fulfilling your destiny.

There are four specific pitfalls we all will face: cultural distractions, voices of doubt, tempting shortcuts and discouraging delays. We're going to find all four of these pitfalls present in the life of Noah. Noah overcame them and you'll be able to overcome them too by applying the lessons of Noah to your decade of destiny.

Now, this doesn't mean God will give you the goal of building an ark, but he is going to give you a dream for your next ten years. And to get there you are going to face the same four tests as Noah. These are temptations common to us all.

The Bible says we're wise to look ahead. By doing that, we'll not only be prepared to spot the pitfalls when they come into our lives, we'll also be prepared to apply the antidote to these pitfalls. As the Bible says, only the fool fails to look ahead.

But for today, let me ask if you've prayed through the steps from last week? If not, ask God to help you establish goals for your decade of destiny. Then you'll be ready to learn how to handle the pitfalls that potentially could keep you from getting where God wants you to go.