TOMORROW’S TRIALS OR TRIUMPHS

By Timothy Hille  

          “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Prov. 27:1).

            Here in our text the wise man writes of the folly of boasting about tomorrow. The main point of the proverb is to land a blow against fleshly pride and human boasting. The main thought that we wish to examine this evening is the truth of what is stated in the latter portion of the verse: “for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” One of the principles of life that we learn is that we do not know what lies ahead from one day to the next. What this should teach us is our utter dependence upon the Lord, who never changes! Circumstances, people, and plans are all subject to change from one day to the next; but our lives as children of God are not dependent upon circumstances, people, or plans, but upon the Lord Jesus Christ. We do not know what events will occur before we awake on the morrow, and we cannot control those events with any certainty. We can plan---and it is not wrong to make plans---but our plans do not always come to pass. God’s plans always do. The security for a child of God is not in knowing what a day may bring froth, but in knowing the God who does know and who causes all things to work together for good to them that love Him and who are the called according to His purpose.

            We can all think of things that change. People change in many unpredictable ways. Someone whom you call friend today may be your enemy tomorrow. Health, emotions, feelings, governments, and bank accounts all rise and fall from morning to evening, but all is subject to the will of God. The next few years may pass before us as a fleeting moment. This past season, and even this past year, have gone by us swiftly unrecoverable. In the days that lie ahead there will be battles, some defeats and some victories. We cannot predict what may come tomorrow, and we don’t have to. We must rely on the everlasting, unchanging God to take us through our ever changing days in this life.

            One of the most important truths to learn is that we do today’s work today. Jesus stated: “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4). Today’s work is for today, not tomorrow. We are not responsible for tomorrow’s work until tomorrow. God has an ordered life for us to follow as He reveals His will unto us. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way” (Ps. 37:23). “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matt. 6:34 ). There is a work for today that must be done. People are going to stand before God one day and give an account for what they did with all their “todays” that God gave them. This is true for both the lost and the saved. There is a TODAY to the lost in which God commands that they repent of their sins and turn to Him for light and life. “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (II Cor. 6:2). “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:30, 31). Lost person, today is the only day of which God speaks to you with regard to anything but everlasting torment and wrath. To children of God, there is also a command of God concerning TODAY. (Read Heb. 3:7-15). Beloved, hear and heed the voice of the Spirit today. There is work to be done today in God’s service. “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (Rom. 13:12 ).

            Beloved, we do not know what a day shall bring forth. Today’s sorrows may give way to tomorrow’s joys. This day’ victories may be followed by another day’s defeats. Trials or triumphs may be tomorrow, we do not know. Nevertheless, our changing days do not change God. Let us note some saints whose lives changed from one day to the next.

            1. JOB

            Read Job 1:1-22. There is perhaps no single person who suffered so much in the course of one day and still retained his integrity before God as the prophet Job. Job’s life was one of serving the Lord and living righteously before Him. Job was desirous for his children to follow in the paths of the Lord. In one day Job went from offering conscientious intercession on behalf of his children to sudden poverty and bereavement. Some things took place that caused Job’s life to change form one day to the next. What a difference from one day to the next!

            Read Job 2:1-10. Here we see the trials of Job’s tomorrows. Job’s circumstances and environment were changed. He faced changes that affected his own person in a very dramatic and unpleasant way. He faced changes and trials from outside his own family and from within.

            2. JOSEPH

            Read Genesis 37:1-27. We may have trials, triumphs, or both. We may even have triumphs in our trials! Note the trials which Joseph faced from one day to the next. Joseph’s life was one of trials and triumphs. His trials did not end when his own brethren sold him as a slave into the hand of the Ishmaelites and he was taken into Egypt . Even though those of his own household and of other nations were foremost in his trials, God was with Joseph through it all. Read Genesis 45:1-11. God changed the trials of Joseph into triumphs! “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28 ).

            3. SAMSON

            Read Judges 16:1-21. We know that Samson lost his eyes, but before that he lost his vision spiritually. There are those who will press you and vex you from day to day continually in an attempt to make you sin, just as Delilah did Samson. In one day Samson went from being a victor to being defeated. With Samson, things changed from one day to the next.

            We know that this truth is the same for all children of God. From one day to the next, David turned into an adulterous king. From one day to the next Daniel was cast into the lion’s den. One certainty about tomorrow is that you don’t know what will or will not happen. “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (James 4:13 -15). Serving God today does not exempt us from tomorrow’s trials. Yet, both our trials and our triumphs, whether they be today’s or tomorrow’s, ought to bring us close to the Lord. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Heb. 13:8). Though all the world may change, my Saviour changes not!

            This truth was experienced by New Testament saints. From one day to the next, Peter, James and John went from being fishers of fish to being fishers of men. Ananias and Sapphira who were members of the church at Jerusalem and who lied to the Holy Spirit both died in one day! Paul changed from a church persecutor to an apostle in one day! If you are a child of God today, ONE DAY you were changed from a hell-bound sinner to a heaven-bound saint! As the man born blind stated, “One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25 ).

            “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (I Thess. 4:13 -18). One day we will experience the reality of this Scripture, though we do not know when that day will be. That TODAY will be a day of total and final victory for children of God, when is “brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory” (I Cor. 15:54 ). Are you ready to be with the lord forever? If He should come tonight, or if you should be taken from this world tonight, what would your answer be? Have you been serving the Lord today? “Choose you this day whom ye will serve” (Josh. 24:15).

            We do not know what a day may bring forth, but God will still be God tomorrow. God’s Word will still be true tomorrow. Jesus will still be the only Saviour tomorrow. As for you, your life may be past before tomorrow’s sun ever shines. Will you not follow the Lord today?