Even highly intelligent and powerful individuals turn to psychics for important decisions, convinced that these so-called experts have supernatural powers that will help them avoid dangers or make better choices. A famous example is that of the former First Lady of the United States, Nancy Reagan, who regularly consulted a psychic named Joan Quigley.
Nancy Reagan became interested in astrology after her husband, President Ronald Reagan, survived an assassination attempt on March 30th, 1981. Concerned for her husband’s safety, she asked Quigley if the attack could have been avoided. The psychic’s answer was affirmative, which was precisely what Mrs. Reagan hoped to hear. From then on, she incorporated Quigley as her astrologer and personal advisor, maintaining constant communication with her through phone calls.
Later, Mrs. Reagan wrote about that experience: “Very few people can understand what it is like to have your husband shot and nearly die, and then to see him constantly exposed to large crowds, among whom there could be someone with a gun… I was doing everything I could imagine to protect my husband and keep him alive.” This need to protect her husband led her to seek answers in astrology, as a desperate attempt to find a way to control the future.
This case illustrates that those who turn to fortune-tellers usually do so driven by powerful reasons. They believe that by knowing what will happen, they will gain an advantage that allows them to prevent imminent harm. In Nancy Reagan’s case, she sought to avoid another attack on the President of the United States, trusting in the supposed abilities of an astrologer.
Although millions of people turn to fortune-tellers for important decisions, Christians must understand that preparing for the future does not involve seeking answers in forbidden practices but trusting in God’s will and obeying His commandments. The Bible is very clear on this: “I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.” Leviticus 20:6.
The warning is strong: no matter how powerful a person is or the difficulties they face, divination in all its forms is condemned by the Word of God. The Scriptures provide a complete vision of humanity’s future in a general sense, but they do not reveal the individual destiny of each person. Pretending to know what the immediate future holds is folly, as stated in Ecclesiastes 10:14: “The fool multiplies words. No one knows what is coming—who can tell someone else what will happen after them?”
It is true that God has sent prophets throughout history to guide His people and give them direction, but it is important to distinguish between true prophets and those who claim to be prophets but are not. Some Christians turn to so-called “prophets” seeking answers about their personal future, wanting to know if they should marry a specific person, if they will get the job they desire, or if they will have a great ministry. However, that desire to know the future is no different from those who seek answers through divination and has nothing to do with true prophecy.
True servants of God speak only what He commands them to say, not what people want to hear. No one but God knows the future with certainty. The only way for Christians to prepare for the future is to obey God’s will in the present. We must focus on living according to His commandments today, without obsessively worrying about what will come tomorrow.
Christian preparation for the future is based on obeying God’s commandments and trusting in His sovereignty. In this way, no matter what happens—be it a natural disaster, a family tragedy, or any other difficulty—we can be assured that everything is under God’s control. The Bible teaches us that “Nothing, absolutely, happens unless it is God’s will,” and that He has a perfect plan, even in the most challenging circumstances. We cannot prevent an earthquake, a flood, or a hurricane, and even if we could anticipate them, it is impossible to be fully prepared to face them. Security lies in trusting in God’s sovereignty.
Only God’s mercy can protect us from a tragedy and give us the strength to overcome it if it occurs. And if we must go through a trial, we must remember that everything is under the control of our Heavenly Father. Nothing happens without His knowledge and purpose.
We also cannot avoid the day of our death. This event is inevitable for all human beings, and although we can take practical measures such as making a will, purchasing a burial plot, or acquiring life insurance to protect our families, these actions only mitigate the economic impact of our passing. Death is a reality we cannot control, but we can prepare spiritually for that moment.
However, true preparation for the future is not found in temporary measures but in the condition of our spirit. No one can completely change their future, because what God has determined will come to pass. Even if someone locked themselves in a bulletproof box, what God has decided for their life will happen. “If no one knows the day or hour of their departure, no matter what they do to avoid it, they will never be fully prepared for that moment.”
Only if our lives are surrendered to Christ can we confidently say, as the Apostle Paul did in Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
These words remind us that true security is not found in knowing the future but in living today according to God’s will and trusting in His unconditional love. Preparing for the future, as Christians, means surrendering our lives to Christ and trusting that, no matter what happens, He will be with us until the end. Only then can we face the future without fear, knowing that our hope is not in what may happen but in Him who holds all things in His hands.
