Who Could Say? We Shall See: How to See Life as a Series of Opportunities Rather than Problems

One day in late summer, a farmer was working in his field with his old, sick horse. The farmer felt compassion for the horse and desired to lift its burden. So he let his horse loose to go to the mountains and live out the rest of its life.

Soon after, neighbors from the nearby village visited, offering their condolences. They said, “What a shame. Now your only horse is gone. How unfortunate you are! How will you live, work the land, and prosper?” The farmer replied: “Who could say? We shall see.”

Two days later, the old horse returned rejuvenated after meandering in the mountainside while eating wild grass. Twelve new and healthy horses followed the old horse into the corral.

Word got out in the village of the farmer’s good fortune, and it wasn’t long before people arrived to congratulate him on his good luck. “How fortunate you are!” they exclaimed. You must be delighted!” The farmer softly said, “Who could say? We shall see.”

At daybreak, the following day, the farmer’s only son set off to attempt to train the new wild horses, but the farmer’s son was thrown to the ground and broke his leg. One by one, the villagers arrived to bemoan the farmer’s latest misfortune. “Oh, what a tragedy you have had! Your son won’t be able to help you farm with a broken leg. You’ll have to do all the work yourself. How will you survive?” they said. Calmly going about his usual business, the farmer answered, “Who could say? We shall see.”

Several days later, war broke out. The Emperor’s men arrived in the village to draft all the young men into the army. As it happened, the farmer’s son was deemed unfit because of his broken leg. “What good fortune you have!!” the villagers exclaimed as their young sons marched away. “You must be pleased.” “Who could say? We shall see,” replied the farmer, heading off to work his field alone.

As time passed, the broken leg healed, but the son limped. Again the neighbors came to pay their condolences. “Oh, what bad luck you have; too bad for you!” But the farmer replied, “Who could say? We shall see.”

As it turned out, the other young village boys died in the war, and the farmer and his son were the only men capable of working the village lands. The farmer became wealthy and gave much to the villagers. They said: “How fortunate we are; you must be happy,” to which the farmer softly said, “Who could say? We shall see.”

How do you see life? Is it a series of problems or opportunities?

The truth is that we can not see the outcomes of most events. What we perceive as unfavorable can be positive. What we consider something to avoid opens the door to better things.

Think of how true this is.

Moses fleeing Egypt gave him the experience to lead God’s people through the desert.

Elijah’s depressive incident in 1 Kings 19 led to him finding his successor, Elisha, to carry on his work.

Paul gave this perspective a voice.

Jealous leaders accused him of committing blasphemy in the temple. Jews trumped up the charges and lied about him. That led to a long and delayed journey to Rome, where he had appealed to the Emperor.

Instead of planning to visit Rome to spread the gospel, he found himself a prisoner in Caesarea Philippi. He was biding his time…or wasting it. Yet, he discovered that his misfortune was his mission.

He told the Philippians:

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.” (Philippians 1:12–13, ESV)

The boredom of the jail provided time and a “captive” audience of the most elite guard of the empire. Those guards got the opportunity to hear. At that moment, he went where no one was able to go.

Do you get discouraged about your circumstances? Sickness, unemployment, or a change in your residence can seem like roadblocks. But ask, “what can the Lord do in this situation?” You may discover that it becomes a blessing rather than a bane.

So look at your life and think, “Who could say? We shall see.”