But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:33-34 HCSB
As mere mortals or human beings there are a lot of things we may never know. Maybe they will be revealed to us when we get to heaven or maybe we will spend eternity not knowing. One thing we don’t know is how long we will be here on this planet. We are told in James 4:13-15 that we should not say tomorrow we will do this and that because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Our life is a mist or a vapor that appears for a short while and then vanishes. But instead, we should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
A beautiful young lady who was just 18 years old died in a tragic boating accident near us on Monday. I am sure that when she and her boyfriend set out to go boating with friends, they never imagined it would be her last day on earth. Just yesterday I received word that a man who attended our church died suddenly. Science can answer many of our questions, but no one knows when we will be called home. Some people are diagnosed with terminal illnesses and are told that they have several months to live but end up living several years or being cured. Some may only live several weeks. Only God knows when we will leave here.
But one thing we do know for sure is that we will answer to God for everything we did or didn’t do while we were here. We are told in Matthew 12:36 that we will be judged for every word that comes out of our mouths. This leaves no room for doubt that we will be judged for our actions both good and bad.
We have no idea what our future holds, but we do know who holds our future. In the Old Testament, God sent prophets to warn the people when they were facing doom. Sadly, they didn’t listen. Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet. He tried to convince the Israelites to stop their idol worship and change their sinful ways. But in chapter 29 when their impending Babylonian captivity was near, he simply spoke to them about how they should behave in captivity. He told them to make themselves at home and plant gardens and eat their produce. He told them to take wives and have sons and daughters. He told them to seek the welfare of the city to which they were to be deported because when it prospered, they would also. But the verse we all remember and love to quote is Jeremiah 29:11 in which he says, “For I know the plans I have for you”-this is the LORD’s declaration-“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
We don’t know what we will face tomorrow. But if we love the Lord with all our heart, we know that He will be right there to help us with it. God was going to bring disaster on the Israelites. Their city would be destroyed. The temple and the walls would be torn down and they would be taken into captivity. But through it all, He promises to take care of them if they will trust in Him. We see in the books of Daniel, Esther and Nehemiah how God took good care of those who sought Him and trusted in Him.
Since we don’t know the future, shouldn’t we wholeheartedly seek and love the one who holds our future in His hands? Be careful what you say and do or fail to do. Live each day bringing glory and honor to your Lord and Savior. Be sure that your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life because you just never know.
Have a great day!