In the comic strip BC, a cave man stood before a rock labeled "Exchanges." He complained to the person in charge of exchanges, "My calendar watch won't budge." The other man replied, "I don't wonder. I'm not too choked up about moving into the next year myself."

We can all understand his pessimistic outlook. Tomorrow often does look dark. But the real question is: "What lies beyond midnight?"

John, the writer of Revelation, was in exile on the Island of Patmos. He wrote to people threatened with persecution for their faith. They probably weren't too eager to move into the future.

To help them, and us, face what lies ahead, John painted a picture of our ultimate future. In the presence of God, Christians will "neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat" (Rev. 7:16). And "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes" (v.17). What comfort that holds for us!

Someone has noted, "The only thing we know about the future is that the providence of God will be up before dawn." As we face what lies ahead, we can count on that. Hope in the God of all our tomorrows provides optimism for the future and gives strength for today.  — Haddon W. Robinson