I Know What's Gonna Happen

 
Psychic - having or exhibiting an ability to perceive events in the future or beyond normal sensory contact.

The above is technically the definition of "clairvoyant". But no one ever says "I'm clairvoyant." But don't we all think we're a "little psychic" sometimes?

It's like when you're having a party and this one friend keeps saying "I'm on my way" but never shows up. Somebody always says: "I knew she wasn't coming!" Or it's like when you ask for some tricky time-off at work and get denied; you walk away grumbling: "I knew it..."

Have you ever noticed that our belief in our psychic abilities is only strengthened by negative occurrences? As stated in a previous post, about once or twice a year I truly believe that I'm going to win Mega Millions. But, alas, I'm still a thousandaire. I "knew it" but was wrong. This doesn't make me less psychic. If something good surprises me when I had been expecting despair, it doesn't make me doubt my powers. But when I correctly predict a bad outcome...I KNEW IT!

This applies to nearly all aspects of my existence: both natural and spiritual. If a prayer doesn't get answered (or seems voided or unanswerable), I can get into an "I knew it" mode of thinking. Which is really just code for "I-never-had-faith-in-the-first-place" but then again, why does faith have to be continuous? If I have faith for one second, why isn't that enough? Who's to say it isn't (Jesus talks a lot about faith the size of a mustard seed)...but I digress. In any case, when you start wondering what happened with your unanswered prayer...if you actually come up with an answer, you might be "psychic."

There are some things that we simply just "know" despite the Word of God:

• The Lord is my Shepherd (Psalm 23:1)  - "I just don't feel shepherded at this time" 
• All things work together for good (Romans 8:28) - "NO good can come of this!" 
• But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it (Romans 8:25) - "I need some sort of sign!"

And the list goes on. 

I know not many people find the Bible funny, but I came across a hilarious exchange between two prophets: Elijah and Obadiah. And though, I'd love to identify with Elijah (and one day never die, but be taken away in a chariot of fire - 2 Kings 2:11), I really see myself in Obadiah.

Situation: Elijah has been on the run for a long time. An evil king has been seeking him everywhere, making people swear they had neither seen him nor were harboring him. Obadiah is walking down the road and runs into Elijah who says: "tell the king I'm here." Obadiah's response is awesome:

“What sin have I committed, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to put me to death? As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent to search for you; and when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made the kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you. And now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here.”’ It will come about when I leave you that the Spirit of the Lord will carry you where I do not know; so when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the Lord from my youth." - 1 Kings 18:9-12

This guys sounds just like me! He's both psychic AND has a victim's mentality. He starts out with "why me?!" one of my favorite lines, then he proceeds to tell Elijah exactly how everything will turn out if he does what the Lord (through Elijah) has requested. Obadiah doesn't even fault Elijah. Elijah could mean well, but the Spirit of the Lord will whisk him away when Obadiah isn't looking and then...it's curtains. He even puts in a little bit about how he doesn't deserve this death because he has "feared the Lord" from his youth. He has hit ALL the bases of Christian complaint:

1. Why me? 
2. If I do this, then that will happen, and I don't want that to happen.
3. God could stop this if He wanted to.
4. Haven't I served you?

Long story short, Elijah promised him none of that would happen, Obadiah told the king and then disappeared from the story. He later reappears in scripture...alive.  He grumbled for a moment, but then he did the will of the Lord. But how often do we let our "psychic" powers deter us from doing what is right? How often do we let this "knowledge" of future events based on either our obedience or disobedience inform our decisions? I think it's incredible how many things I think I know. And I declare them all the time. But I don't really know anything.

I don't know what's going to happen.

This is an important truth to remember, but I'll forget about it. I know it...I'm psychic.