Your Best Days Are Ahead of You

Father, we thank You for today, for Your love, and for the promise that our best days are still ahead of us. Open our hearts to receive Your Word, to trust in Your plan, and to move forward with hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Good morning, everyone! I’m going to start today with a little dose of reality: life can be tough. Whether you’ve lost a loved one, separated from a marriage, faced a job setback, or just feel like life keeps throwing lemons your way, sometimes it’s easy to get stuck looking at all the things that didn’t go right. You know, that moment when you’re just sure that your best days are behind you and the only thing left to look forward to is more of the same old stuff.

But guess what? God has a different plan. He says, “Your best days are ahead of you!” That’s right—no matter what you’ve gone through, the best is yet to come. And today, we’re going to unpack how to hold onto that promise.

It’s Okay to Be Sad – But Don’t Camp Out There

First off, let’s acknowledge the fact that life can sometimes feel like you’re stuck in a bad sitcom—one where things keep going wrong and you can’t find the remote to change the channel. And you know what? It’s okay to be sad when things don’t go the way you hoped. God never said we wouldn’t experience heartache. In fact, He knows we’ll go through difficult times. Ecclesiastes 3:4 says,

“There is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.”

So, if you’re grieving a loss, or dealing with disappointment, or even just frustrated with the way things are going right now, that’s normal. Jesus Himself wept over the death of His friend Lazarus (John 11:35)—and He knew He was going to raise him from the dead! That’s some real empathy right there! If Jesus can be moved by sadness, it’s okay for us to feel that way too.

But here’s the key: It’s okay to be sad, but don’t set up camp in sadness. Just like you wouldn’t set up a tent in the middle of a storm, don’t get stuck in grief or disappointment. Remember, it’s a season, not a permanent address. The important thing is not to dwell on the losses but to remember that God’s promises are bigger than the pain we feel.

God Has Prepared Something New for You

Now, I want to remind you of something really powerful: God is always at work, even in the middle of our struggles. In Isaiah 43:18-19, God says,

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

What does this mean? It means that God is not bound by your past. Yes, it’s okay to reflect on it—sometimes we need to process things, learn from mistakes, and cherish the memories—but God doesn’t want us to live in the rearview mirror. He’s got something new for you, something that hasn’t even come into full focus yet.

Think about it like this: You wouldn’t buy a brand-new phone just to keep looking at the one that’s cracked and old. No! You’d eagerly wait to use the new one, right? God is saying, “I’ve got something fresh and amazing for you, so stop staring at the past and start looking ahead to what I’m doing.”

This is what faith is all about—believing that God’s promises are true, even when we can’t see them. It’s trusting that the best is yet to come, even when life doesn’t feel like it right now.

Restoration and Abundance Are God’s Specialty

Now, let’s talk about restoration and abundance. God is a God of restoration. In Joel 2:25, He promises,

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.” Essentially, God says, "I know you’ve lost some things—dreams, relationships, opportunities—but I am in the business of giving back even more than you lost."

If you’ve been through a hard season where it feels like the locusts ate your joy, your peace, your health, or your finances—God says, He will restore. It may not always look like what you expect, but He’s a creative God who can take your mess and turn it into a message, your pain and turn it into purpose.

Think of it like your favorite restaurant that’s out of stock on the dish you want. They bring you a replacement that you didn’t even know you loved more than the original. Sometimes God restores us with something better than what we lost. He’s got an abundance for you!

In John 10:10, Jesus says,

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Not just a little bit of life. Not just a “meh” existence. God’s abundance is a full, overflowing cup of goodness. He is a God who blesses beyond what we can imagine.

God’s Blessings Are Endless for Those Who Love Him

And here’s the best part: God’s blessings are endless for those who love Him. Romans 8:28 says,

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

That means that no matter what you’re facing right now, if you love God, He’s working it out for your good. Even the bad stuff. Even the stuff that makes no sense. He’s using it to shape you for something greater.

It’s like when you’re baking a cake. The flour by itself? Not so tasty. The raw eggs? Yuck. But when you put it all together, mix it up, and bake it, you get something amazing. Life is a bit like that. The tough moments are part of the recipe for the beautiful, abundant future God is preparing for you.

So, don’t give up. Your best days are ahead of you. God has a plan to restore what’s been lost, to make something beautiful out of your pain, and to pour out His blessings on you in ways you can’t even imagine.

Conclusion

To sum it up: Yes, life is hard sometimes. Yes, it’s okay to mourn and grieve. But let’s not get stuck there. God has prepared something new for you, and He is in the business of restoring what’s been lost and giving you abundance for the future. Your best days are ahead of you, not behind you.

So, keep going. Keep trusting. Keep believing. And remember, God’s blessings are endless for those who love Him.

Closing Prayer

Father, we thank You for the promise that our best days are ahead of us. Help us to trust in Your plan, even when we don’t understand it. Restore what’s been lost, and fill us with Your abundance. We love You, and we know You’re working all things together for our good. In Jesus' name, Amen.

And remember, friends: God doesn’t just want you to “survive” life—He wants you to thrive. So, let’s look ahead with hope, knowing that the best is yet to come!