(Prov 27:1 CEV) Don’t brag about tomorrow! Each day brings its own surprises.
This morning we continue our series entitled, “Unlocking the Power of Proverbs – Walking in the Wisdom of God.” In this verse Solomon is not teaching us against planning. Let’s make that clear. Solomon was a great planner. For example, Solomon took on a temple building project that required over 30,000 carpenters, 75,000 carriers (general laborers), 80,000 stonecutters and 33,000 foremen for supervise the project (1 Kings 5:16). The project took 7.5 years to complete and some estimate the cost at well over a Billion dollars. So the issue is not living your life without ever making a plan, but the point here is to remember that God’s plans must ultimately take priority over ours, because at the end of the day, our life is not our own.
When teaching on this topic James said, “Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil” (James 4:13-16). There are many things that I believe the Lord has called me to do that I have not done yet. I talk about those things with the uttermost confidence and I plan for them in faith. At no point am I boasting about my own plans, because these are all things I believe the Father has called me to do. Now, I am human and I do make mistakes, so if I missed God – meaning that I misinterpreted what I believe I heard in prayer – then during the course of my life the Father will show me what He actually wants me to do and I will have to make the course correction. It might be embarrassing to tell people that I missed it, but oh well. I would rather take the embarrassment and head down the path God wants me to take, then to allow pride to keep me going down my own path. Once again, the message here is that my life is not my own, and yours is not your own. Your plans can never trump God’s plans.
There is also another message here; one that speaks to focusing on the importance of today and not tomorrow. One day, while Jesus was teaching on the common cares of this world, He said, “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” This teaching is needed today. With the global economy being what it is, many are being consumed with worry and fear because of the uncertainty of tomorrow. What was Jesus’ answer to worry? Trust. You can’t trust God and worry at the same time. Jesus went on to say, “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” (see Matthew 6:31-34)
So what does this mean to you today?
1. Give God the priority in your life. Make plans, but never allow them to trump God’s plans. This way you will be able to keep the main-thing the main-thing.
2. Live your life one day at a time. Focus on today. God will help you deal with tomorrow when it gets here.
3. Enjoy life. Life is short. James likened it to a vapor (a fog) that is temporary. Seek to maximize your purpose and potential while you are in the land of the living and have fun!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for this reminder. It is too easy to get consumed with tomorrow and all the things I need to do in the future. I thank You for blessing me with the insight, wisdom, revelation, knowledge and understanding to plan for tomorrow, but also with the discipline to focus on and enjoy today! Your plans have priority in my life. My life is not my own and I seek to maximize my purpose and potential in life by doing all that You placed me here to do. And Father, thank You for blessing me to be able to have fun while I do it. I am excited about going to heaven some day, but for right now I am going to enjoy the ride! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
