Prognostication
Warning – I’m going to bash both political parties.
I was watching the news this morning and they were talking about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, otherwise known as AOC, surging in the polls as the potential democratic nominee for president in 2028. All I could think is how, in our collective right minds, could we even consider an intellectual giant like AOC for president (most definitely sarcasm if that didn’t come across).
As this thought formed, I recalled a 2014 conversation I had about the Republican contenders for the presidential nomination. At the time, I supported Dr. Carson (if you don’t know his background, it is a fascinating success-through-hard-work story) and had to watch as he failed in his endeavor. I was talking to a lawyer at work and he commented that then-candidate Donald Trump was gaining in the polls. I suggested that Trump was like going to a car race where most people are watching and waiting for the car crash. In other words, I did not expect Trump to succeed (obviously, I was wrong since he was nominated three times).
An interesting aspect is that at the time I had to do a lot of prognostication in my role at the company (even when they didn’t like my prediction, which was common). For the most part, I had some skill at separating my emotional reaction and considering the big picture influences of the potential direction. I’ve mentioned in a previous devotion that a marketer got the bright idea of providing a flu shot without cost-sharing to every member and was surprised when the analysis suggested that overall costs would increase and not decrease. There are a lot of moving parts in that analysis, and the marketer had a sincere desire to help our members. An example of a successful prognostication was that I, very early in the COVID development, predicted COVID was a disease that would not be conquered and one we would have to deal with the rest of our lives (this was when we were optimistic we would develop an immunization that effectively would wipe it out).
“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” - 2 Peter 1:16-21 ESV
“But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God. They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them. And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only.” - 2 Kings 17:14-18
Even though I was considered knowledgeable, at least as far as actuarial predictions, my ability pales in trying to understand God’s sovereign plan. I saw a video where a person (a believer, I assume) was asking why God didn’t lock up Satan when he revolted to save humanity from his influence. The speaker turned the question around and asked why God hadn’t punished each of us for our sins. Each one of us has sinned and deserves hell. It only is through God’s mercy we have the opportunity to accept Jesus and repent of our sins, and have hope. Hope that Jesus’ death and resurrection took our sins on him and allows us to become heirs with Christ to God.
In other words, God doesn’t destroy us because He is working to redeem us from our deserved punishment. I’ll be the first one to admit that I would rather God take away all the pain and torment in this world. However, and more importantly, I accept and believe that His sovereign plan is much better than any plan I could come up with.
