I stood in line at the fast-food restaurant, waiting for the people in front of me to finish ordering. Absentmindedly, I looked at my phone, scrolling through Facebook and Instagram, when my ear caught the conversation of a few women behind me. “What are you going to order?” one of them asked. “Something healthy,” the one answered. “I weighed myself for the first time in months this morning, and I couldn’t believe the number on the scale. My husband and I promised each other we would go on a diet and get healthy.”
I was hooked. What was she going to order? How much did she weigh? I had to know. I crept slowly up to the counter and was not disappointed the person in front of me was taking longer than I normally would be okay with.
Meanwhile, the conversation behind me got more interesting. “My clothes are tight on me and I’m always tired. We need to change something.” The other lady listened to her friend and they continued to scroll through the menu trying to figure out what to order. As I made my way up to the counter, my ear caught the last of their conversation. “I should order the chicken salad, but what I really want is a burger with cheese and guacamole. You know what? I’ll order this now and I’ll start eating healthy tomorrow.”
And there it was … she dropped the “T” bomb!
Hey, I can’t blame her. I do it too. If there is anything that I could do today that I can push to tomorrow, I do it. My homework, filling out my boys’ school paperwork, driving to the DMV to get my car registered … I put it off again and again until all the tomorrows come and I have no days left.
Tomorrow. It’s such a bad word!
It’s more than procrastination. Do you know what it is? It’s living with our situation for one more day. It’s sleeping with our mess for one more night. It’s settling for unfinished business instead of taking care of business today. Sure, there are some things that you could do tomorrow. But if we put all of our cards on tomorrow being there, it’s sort of like putting all of our money on black at the local casino. Is that dramatic?
What the Bible Says
Probers 27:1 says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Do you know why we think it is? Because so far, we’ve received every tomorrow we’ve looked to. But it won’t always be that way. James 4:13-14 says, “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.” Tomorrow is NEVER promised to any of us.
The Story of Moses
There’s a story in Exodus ch 8 that has always fascinated me. Moses asks Pharaoh to let the Hebrew people free so they can worship God. Pharaoh refused. He needs his pyramids built, and who will make the bricks if he lets them go?
Moses warns Pharaoh and tells him a plague of frogs is going to come upon the land, and it’s not going to be your typical backyard frog invasion. The plague of frogs will cover every part of the ground. The Nile River will swarm with frogs, and they will be in the houses, on the houses, in the mixing bowls, and the dishwashers, washing machines and food pantries. There will be no place to sit, bed to sleep in, or land to walk because frogs will cover everything. Can you imagine the filth? The stench? If I see one frog, I run and scream. Can you imagine millions?
Because of the stubbornness of Pharaoh, all of Egypt suffered because of the plague of frogs. Pharaoh and his people were miserable. Life as they knew it could not go on because the frogs were everywhere. When they looked right, there were frogs. When they looked left, there were frogs. They couldn’t take it anymore, so he called for Moses and asked him to end the plague. He would let the Hebrew people go.
What did Moses do?
Moses did something for Pharaoh (by the hand of God), that God does for us. He told Pharaoh, “You tell me when you want this plague to end. You name the time, and the mess will end. The stench will be gone, and you won’t have to live in this filth anymore.”
So, are you ready for the irony? Pharaoh was given the honor of choosing the time the plague would end. Do you know what he said? One word … He said, “Tomorrow.”
Tomorrow!! He chose to live in his filth one more day; to sleep in his mess one more night. Why? He could have said, “Now! End the plague now!” But he didn’t. And guess what? He didn’t let the people go either. He hardened his heart once the frogs were out of the land. Do you know why? Because if we’re not willing to change today, what makes you think we’ll be willing to change tomorrow?
What do we want to change in our lives?
First, God tells us the same thing He told Pharaoh: “You name the time you want your mess cleaned up.” God wants to act in our lives today. Why do we choose to live with our problems for one more night?
The other night one of my boys got into big trouble and I sent him to his room really early. He cried and cried for about an hour and I gave him some time before I went in to talk about his behavior. He was very upset with how the day went, and he told me how frustrated he was. I understand. I have those days too. Those are the days that make tomorrow look good.
But I am going to share with you what I shared with him. I told my son we can only learn from today and know that God’s mercies will be new in the morning. The lesson we have to take with us is that God forgives our todays, and should we get tomorrow, He won’t hold our yesterdays against us. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”
God’s Mercy
Mercy means we don’t get what we deserve. And God gives us new love and compassion to start each day. That’s why we don’t have to wait until tomorrow to start again. He gave us His mercy for today, and gave it to us before our alarm clock went off and we wiped the sleep from our eyes.
To sum up as we get ready to leave each other today, I want to remind you to live for each moment. Be present. Be intentional. Stop looking to tomorrow for a fresh start and do something today that will make tomorrow better. This is so hard! I am right there with you! I have to remind myself daily to stop looking to tomorrow. And when you think about it, tomorrow is anything that lies beyond today. It could be the Holidays coming up or the new year. But they’re not here yet. We only have the day we’ve been given.
So my friend, as you continue to go on with your day today, be glad. If there’s a mess that needs your attention, give it. If there’s a nutrition plan that needs to be created, plan it. If there’s a workout that needs to be done, do it. If there are frogs in your yard, run and scream (I had to say it). And in all of the minutes you get today, remember this, “Today is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24). Don’t wait until tomorrow. Start today!
Challenge
In conclusion, if you have not accepted Jesus as your Savior, I want to share this verse with you from 2 Corinthians 6:2, “For He says, ‘In the time of My favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, today is the day of salvation.” I encourage you to call out to Him and ask Him to come into your heart. Today is the day.
If you have a prayer request or question, you can message me on social media or contact me here. Have a great today!
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