What About Tomorrow...

A lot of people spend their days worrying about tomorrow. You may be one of those individuals who have difficulty enjoying the present because you always seem to be worrying about the future. Why is this? I think it is because we don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. And we don’t like not knowing and not being in control.

Truth be told we are not even guaranteed tomorrow. The wise man Solomon said, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” (Proverbs 27:1).

I love the conclusion of Psalm 23. “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

David seems free from worry. There is no anxiety, no fear of the future, and no worry about tomorrow. He’s confident — “surely, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.”

Where does one get that kind of confidence?

If we’re Christ followers, there are reasons why we don’t need to fear the future:

1. Because God is watching over me. (You) 2. Because God’s grace is working in me. (You)

“Surely goodness will follow me all the days of my life.” Because God is good I depend on Him for protection and provision. I believe that no matter what happens to me, God will bring good out of it somehow. It will always either be for my own good, for the good of other people, or for the good of His kingdom. God is a good God.

Psalm 145 “The Lord watches over all who love him.” God cares about the details of your life. Like a father, He will provide for you in the future. No one knows what the future holds but we do know who holds it. We know God loves us and wants to help us. He says, I will be like a Father and will watch over you.

“Surely goodness and mercy will follow me…” What does he mean by that? Obviously, like us, David had disappointments in life. Everything that happened to him was not always good and pleasant. He was not saying, surely, only good things are going to happen to me. That’s just not true. Bad things happen to good people. He’s saying goodness will follow. He is able to make good things come out of whatever happens, even the bad, the painful, and the difficult.

The great promise that God has given to believers in Romans 8:28 is — We know that God is working for our good, as we love Him and strive to live according to His purposes and plans.

Many cannot see when God is working things for their good because they are working according to their own love, passion, and desires and not Gods. They refuse to be fitted into God's plans.

So the Bible says God is working all things together for good — not all things are good that come our way— but God is working things together for our good. That’s what it means “goodness will follow me”. There is no difficulty, dilemma, defeat, or disaster in our lives that ultimately God won’t bring something good out of.

I realize it’s difficult to see God’s goodness when you’re going through a crisis or tragedy. There are times when you don’t feel like God is good or is working for your good. You don’t feel His mercy. Sometimes you feel like God’s goodness is hidden. Even Jesus, on the cross, said, “My God, my God, Why?”

We go through those experiences sometimes in life — Why? And we don’t see goodness in the situation. It’s only later, looking back, that we see God’s goodness and how He was working for good.

Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ was falsely accused and put in prison in Rome. Was that good? No. He was kept as a prisoner in Rome. While he was there, he wrote some books that we now call the New Testament. While in prison some people’s lives were changed for the good. Goodness followed him during and after his imprisonment. Today we’re benefiting from some of Paul’s problems, pains, and difficulties.

May we continually look for the goodness that David declared was following him. I believe God's goodness is following me as well. Do you believe it is following you?