Presuming Upon Tomorrow

Should we prepare for the future? Absolutely! Should we try to predict the future? Only if you’re a fool. We can no more predict the future than we can determine our future. We can most certainly effect our future, but we are not in control of it. This may seem obvious to all of you, however if you read or listen to the news each day you would think some of these “experts” each had their own special crystal ball. Many would consider King Solomon the smartest man to ever live and he was wise enough to know we cannot know what the future holds:

    “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” (Proverbs 27:1)

God does not allow us to know the future because 1) we would no longer walk with faith; 2) we would try to change our future; and 3) we would most likely fear our future. You say we already do all three? Yes, but we do so with ignorance whereas if we knew our future we would not live our days the way God designed them.

    “So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?” (Ecclesiastes 3:22)

We are to live our lives in submission to God’s grand design He has fashioned uniquely for each of us. Instead, too many of us, Christians, try to predict the future of how things will turn out. I am as guilty as anyone of us and yes, that makes me a fool.

    “A fool also multiplies words. No man knows what is to be; who can tell him what will be after him?” (Ecclesiastes 10:14)

Of course we can make some educated assumptions about different things in our economy and government, but I am talking more about bragging and boasting about how things will turn out as though we are the smartest guy or gal in the room. Again, I am the first to claim guilt to this foolishness. And if it was merely foolishness, then it might not be so bad. But to plan as though I have all the time in the world is not only foolish, it is sinful.

    “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” (James 4:13-16)

I’m told everyday that if Barack Obama wins a second term it will be the end of our country. Perhaps, perhaps not. Obama being re-elected might just be what finally brings revival to our nation, or a final judgment. I do not know, but what I do know is God places leaders in government. My job is to choose righteousness, not the lesser of two evils out of desperation. I’m trying to learn to trust God with my future because He is in control of it. I must do my part, my Christian duty to be righteous and stand for righteousness, and trust God with the outcome. I just stopped and read Isaiah 40 again; it’s been awhile. If you need your confidence in God strengthened, then you must read Isaiah 40. But verse 28 especially speaks to me this morning:

    “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.” (Isaiah 40:28)

This reminds me that although I may feel weary to the point of fainting just thinking about the future, my God does not. And trying to understand all of God is an impossibility. But we can know that He loves us and will bring to our lives that which is best. Commenting on Proverbs 27:1, Matthew Henry reminds us:

    “We know not what a day may bring forth. This does not forbid preparing for tomorrow, but presuming upon tomorrow. We must not put off the great work of conversion, that one needful thing.”

We need to be saved, and once saved, we need to be sanctified, made holy by the Holy Spirit and through the Word of God and holy living.

Are you in fear of the future? Do you fear death? You can know incredible peace, the peace of God, by placing your faith in His son Jesus Christ. If I was still facing the future unforgiven then I would surely fear death. And if I did not know Who holds my future in His hands, then I too would fear that.

Are you saved? If you were to die today, do you know for sure you would spend eternity in heaven, or would it be hell? And you can say you do not believe in either or God for that matter, but your disbelief only belies the truth. It changes it not.

Give your life to Christ today, right now. Admit you’re a sinner and believe that Jesus’ dying on the cross paid the full price for your sins. And know that if you trust Him for salvation, then because He rose from the dead, so too will you be forever alive in Heaven with Him.

That’s a future we can all presume upon because He has promised it.

I pray you give your life to Christ today if you have not already.

May you all have a blessed weekend and please remember to go to church on Sunday.

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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    Copyright © 2012 David Jeffers

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