Tomorrow Is Not Promised - The Crosswalk Devotional - March 12
The Crosswalk Devotional
Audio By Carbonatix
By Alexis A. Goring, Crosswalk.com
Tomorrow Is Not Promised
By: Alexis A. Goring
Bible Reading:
“Never boast about tomorrow. You don't know what will happen between now and then.” - Proverbs 27:1 (GNT)
There was a time in my life when I used to make plans for tomorrow and talk about them as if they were sure to come true. Until one day, a friend carefully told me that she’s learned to say “God-willing” when she makes plans because the Bible says tomorrow is not promised. Her words resonated with me and still ring true today. Nowadays, when I speak of my plans for the future—even if it’s only 24 hours away—I say “God-willing” at the end of my sentence.
As I reflected on this recently, two songs came to my mind. They share the same title but preach a different message—one secular, with worldly wisdom and a temporary promise, and one Biblical, with words of caution, graced with eternity in mind. The secular song “Tomorrow” from the original movie Annie (1982) and the Gospel song “Tomorrow” performed by The Winans both convey a message of hope, but only one speaks of everlasting hope. Let’s look at the core message of these songs and think about it.
The lyrics of the song “Tomorrow” from the 1982 movie “Annie”, performed by Aileen Quinn, say (in paraphrase): The singer banks on the sun rising tomorrow. She believes you can bet your last dollar that tomorrow will arrive. As she thinks about the beauty and promises of tomorrow, she feels her sorrows lift. When days are dark, and she feels depressed and lonely, she rises and declares with a wide grin that tomorrow is on the horizon, so she will be okay no matter what happens because tomorrow will be a better day, and it’s only 24 hours away.
The lyrics for the song “Tomorrow,” performed by The Winans, say (in paraphrase): Jesus Christ is knocking on the door of your heart, saying He is here, asking you to let Him in. He reminds you that He supplies everything you need. Then the person responds that they know this to be true. They tell Jesus that they will let Him in, not today, but tomorrow. They say tomorrow is a better time for them to give their life to Christ. They don’t feel an urgency in choosing to serve the Lord today. The singers of this song caution the listener that the Bible says tomorrow is not promised, so it might be too late because they may not live to see the next day.
This is the main point: We cannot bet our bottom dollar on life getting better tomorrow because the Bible says tomorrow is not promised.
Does this mean that we should not look forward to tomorrow and make plans for our future? Of course not. We are to stay fully focused on the present and look forward to the next day. But we are not supposed to plan without including God. And when it comes to our salvation in Jesus Christ, we should accept Him into our lives today because we don’t know if we will live another 24 hours.
According to The Bible, when God tells Jesus Christ it’s time for Him to return to Earth to take His faithful followers to Heaven, it will be too late for us to give our hearts to Jesus and follow Him. The Angel of the Lord says in Revelation 22:10-11 (MSG), “Time is just about up. Let evildoers do their worst, and the dirty-minded go all out in pollution, but let the righteous maintain a straight course, and the holy continue on in holiness.” When we see Jesus Christ return in the clouds of glory, we who lived for Him will rejoice because we know we’re going to Heaven, but those who kept delaying their decision to follow Jesus will be terrified because they see it’s too late and they won’t be able to go to Heaven.
Let us take this seriously because our salvation is at stake. I encourage you, if you have not already, to let Jesus into your heart now—especially if you feel an urgency to do so. But if you don’t feel an urgency or hear Christ knocking at the door of your heart, or you’re entrenched in sin, it’s not too late for you because you’re still alive. Please seek God while you’re living. It will be too late when you’re dead. If you’re alive and breathing today, reach out to Him. God loves you, and He wants to welcome you into His Kingdom with open arms.
Finally, we must always be ready for Christ’s return because the Bible says He will come when we least expect Him (Matthew 24:44).
In closing, I’d like for you to listen to this song, “Tomorrow” by The Winans. Listen to it HERE.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
Will you let Jesus Christ into your heart today and follow Him all the way to Heaven?
Further Reading:
Hebrews 9:28
Matthew 24:30
1 Thessalonians 4:16
Revelation 1:7
Revelation 19:11
Join the conversation! Share how today’s devotional encouraged or challenged you in your walk with Christ.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/AndreyPopov
Alexis A. Goring is an author, blogger, editor, photographer, trained journalist, and total foodie. She specializes in Contemporary Christian Romance (fiction) and devotionals (nonfiction). Her first devotional book, Stories and Songs of Faith: My Journey with God, was published in April 2020. Alexis hopes that her life’s work will lead people to Jesus Christ and teach them about the God who loves humankind with all of His heart. When she’s not sharing words that inspire and encourage the heart, you can find her in the kitchen cooking up something tasty, or in a café or restaurant, either dining solo or sharing a meal with loved ones. Connect with Alexis online via her website (https://alexisagoring.
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