The Arrogance of Tomorrow

I thought I was done with devotions from Proverbs—and then I read chapter 27.

This week, we are going to uncover some incredible wisdom from this often-overlooked chapter. The opening verse is so good that its truth shows up again in the New Testament.

Proverbs 27:1 says:

Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring.

The arrogance of tomorrow—we all have it.

We assume that what we have planned will happen just as we expect. We eagerly anticipate the upcoming concert, dread tomorrow’s commute, and worry about the pending procedure.

After all, we know what is going to happen tomorrow. It is already on the calendar!

James picks up this same idea in James 4. He exposes our tendency to assume not only when and where we will go, but how long we will stay and even what the outcome will be.

The problem is not planning.

The problem is planning as though we are in control.

Our plans rarely include car wrecks, medical diagnoses, traffic jams, unexpected phone calls, or sudden changes. When those things happen, we often respond, “This is not how it was supposed to go!”

But according to whose plan?

When we boast about tomorrow, we quietly assume a level of control and knowledge that we simply do not have.

God does.

The more we understand how powerful, knowledgeable, and good God is, the more we realize that our plans are paper-thin compared with His.

So make plans. Put things on the calendar. Prepare wisely.

Just hold those plans with open hands.

What plan are you gripping so tightly that you need to surrender it to God?

Where are you planning with certainty instead of planning with dependence?