Monday, November 15, 2021
Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." James 4:13-15
True Hope For Tomorrow
Our yesterdays are behind us. Our tomorrows are not yet here. But, tomorrow never comes. When it gets here, it is today. It should be said about the future, that it is uncertain. There is no guarantee that we will ever see any point in what we call the future. Our lives could end at any time. There is no guarantee that we will live to be ninety, or eighty, or seventy, or fifty, or even thirty. History is filled with talented and gifted people who met unexpected tragedy from all walks of life. Most of us have personally known several people who died unexpectedly at a very early age. None of us have a guarantee of tomorrow.
Tomorrow is not even ours anyway. God holds our future in His hands. This does not mean that we do not think about the future or plan for the future. We should certainly do both of those things. We should consider the possibilities for the future and we should also be prepared for what the future may behold. But we should think realistically about the future if we are to live effectively in the present.
The future can give us hope. We face the beginning of a new year. What will this year hold for us? We certainly hope that it holds good things. One thing it does hold is the promise that it may be better than the last year. It also holds the promise that things needing change in our lives may in fact be changed. While there are no guarantees, it does hold the promise and the hope for good things in 2011.
On the other hand, the future can give us a false hope. It can provide a false sense of security and thereby keep us from living effectively in the present. By assuming that we do have some guarantee of tomorrow we can postpone many of the things we need to be doing today. This false hope that we will be able to accomplish something "tomorrow" provides many people with the excuse they want so they can put off the very thing they need to do today.
I have met so many people who attempt to live in the future. They are going to do great things when they get around to it. When they have time, they are going to become more involved in things that count. When this happens, or that happens, they will then begin. They will do it later, tomorrow, next week, next month, someday. The fact is that time never comes, the situation never is right, tomorrow never arrives.
Right now is when your tomorrow starts. If you have not given your life to Jesus as your Savior, don't wait, because tomorrow is uncertain. If you know someone who is not saved, talk to them today, because tomorrow is uncertain. Tomorrow is uncertain for us, but we can put all our tomorrows into the hands of the one who is certain - God. God, salvation, and eternal life are guaranteed. Give all your tomorrows to Him. That is the only true hope for tomorrow, and in Him we find hope for all eternity. Tomorrow starts now. Forever starts now.
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:33-34
