NEED TO KNOW BASIS

I live on a need to know basis. In other words, I only know what I need to know to live my life in the present moment. 

When my son Adrian was young, around the ages of 4-10, he was one of those types who really needed as much information as you could provide. If we were going anywhere, he needed to know:
where we were going, who would be there, what would we be doing, when would we be leaving etc. etc. 

Most of us really do want as much data to assess the situations we are facing. And there is nothing wrong with that. For example, if you were making a big purchase, you do some research, get the info you need to make a good decision. Because this is stuff you need to know. It also helps us feel in control of our lives. 

But there are many things, good and bad, coming our way everyday that we don't know about. In the next year you could be facing illness or health, prosperity or poverty. You may have to face the fact that absolutely nothing will change over the next year - every day very much like the day before and the situations you are struggling with will still be there. 

I'm working my way through 1 Chronicles at the moment and came across the story of King David. He is nicely settled and living in a fine palace made of cedar. So he decides - pay back. Time to build a fancy house for God instead of the mobile tent the Israelites have been using forever. But word comes back through the prophet Nathan that David is not to go forward with this project. One of David's own offspring, a son, will be the one for the job. God says "He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor." That is what David needed to know. Information God did not provide was the aforementioned son would be Solomon - the son birthed from the union with Bathsheba. Where David would arrange to have Bathsheba's husband killed so he could cover up his adultery and take her for himself. Can you imagine what David would have felt if God had provided that little tidbit as well? I have to say I find that very gracious of God. To provide the positives and leave out all the negatives. If we knew that someone was going to screw up royally (pun intended) and yet we simply bypassed that and moved on to the positive outcome! 

A big part of my Christian walk involves faith and trust. "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you and hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11. That is what I need to know. Sure, I'm going to make some huge goof-ups along the way and life will throw me curve balls. Maybe I will be warned ahead of time, maybe not. But I can trust to live on a need to know basis.