When we live in this world, we will experience our yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows. Tomorrow is the same for everyone: it is unknown. The Bible tells us how the old saints faced their tomorrows, and how they obtained the favour of God. Their experience is an example for us.
In Genesis 12, God told Abraham to leave his country, family, and father’s house, to go to a place where God will show him. At that time, transportation was not convenient. Furthermore, there were no communication devices . If he left, it would have meant cutting off all ties, uprooting everything that he had, and starting anew. This trip required great faith, because Abraham did not know where the destination. As it is written in Hebrew, Abraham went out with faith, not knowing where he will go.
In God’s salvation plan, we can consider Abraham as a starting point of God’s choosing. All nations shall be blessed through him. The Saviour will come, and Salvation will come. Due to Abraham’s faith in God’s promise, Abraham was called the “Father of Faith” in both the covenant of circumcision, and when his faith was confirmed through the trial of sacrificing Isaac. In Genesis 22:16-18, God swore by Himself, thus making the blessing to Abraham an eternal blessing.
When Abraham first left his home in Haran, did he think about what tomorrow would be like? Only Sarah and Lot, who were his relatives, followed him. He and Lot eventually parted ways, and Sarah begot Isaac. Afterwards, Sarah passed away, and the Bible described that Abraham mourned and wept for her. He also said that he was “a foreigner and a visitor”, and that he did not belong in the world. This declaration meant that his faith was not in the world, nation, family, or his father’s house, but rather, wholeheartedly in God.
In Hebrews 11:13-16, it records that God promised to give to Abraham a better land; not a physical land, but instead, the heavenly kingdom. Those belonging to the world will one day be destroyed, but only what can be seen by faith can last forever. Even though Abraham did not see what God had promised him until the day that he died, he believed in God. Whatever God desired Abraham to do, he did, thus committing his tomorrow in the hands of God.
The Bible says, “To everything there is a season. A time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). We have to use our wisdom to observe the things on the earth. If a man follows his own plan to conduct himself, his work is actually all in vain. Only the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Jesus wants us to not be worried about tomorrow, because tomorrow has its own worries. We also should not worry about what we should eat or wear, for those are the things that the gentiles seek after. Furthermore, we should not worry about the lengthening of our days, because we have no control over the length of our days. Yet, to God, this is an immensely simple matter. Therefore, God wants us to think carefully, in order to understand His great love.
Baptism means becoming the child of God, and receiving the promised Holy Spirit. In Romans, it says that God did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. Since this is the case, will God not freely give us all things? The path of salvation has been opened for us, and thus we can come boldly to the mercy seat, to receive life abundantly. Therefore, regarding tomorrow, we have to “look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”, love God, love men, and live with humility, self-discipline, and godliness. We have to honour our status as a Christian, and put effort into our tomorrow for our salvation.
Comments