Never brag about what you will do in the future; you have no idea what tomorrow will bring.
In the African culture, the young person is to draw wisdom and understanding from the elderly, and one of the pieces of wisdom gained is that “tomorrow is not guaranteed, just do what you need to do today.” Job 12:12 affirms this practice: “People say, ‘Wisdom is to be found in those who are old. Long life brings understanding.'”
One of life’s challenges that can humble us is when someone close to us dies. That is when we need to understand, indeed, that “People can plan what they want to do, but it is the Lord who guides their steps,” (Proverbs 16:9). Plans are good to have, to look forward to a purposeful day with productivity. We can make plans and aspire to achieve them; however, God is the ultimate decider of whether the plans succeed, and approval depends on Him. God’s divine providence is not limited by our plans; we are augmenting His bigger plans.
The verse of today commands us, “Never brag about what you will do in the future.” At times, someone who has achieved outstandingly will say, “It is all by God’s grace.” Some people may think that he is spiritualizing everything, but indeed we are spiritual beings, and glory and honor must be granted to God alone! Bragging is when we take God’s glory and claim that we achieved it all by ourselves without Him. In Daniel 4, King Nebuchadnezzar boasted arrogantly, and he was punished, humbled, and restored. After this, he recognized the supremacy of the God of heaven. Humility is a virtue to embrace always!
The Apostle James records these remarkable words, “You don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Your life is like a fog. You can see it for a short time, but then it goes away,” (James 4:14). Tomorrow is known only to God in whom we must hope and trust—He is still with us, for us, and among us, our anchor of hope in the midst of doubts and the depraved world we live in. Keep holding on and listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and obey. Tomorrow is a grace extended to us if we will keep trusting the One who brings it to pass.
Eternal life is found in Christ, and He gives us the meaning and purpose as we journey in this temporary world.
By Christopher Thetswe, Bible League International staff, South Africa
