This day...

This day…

Week 34:

Proverbs 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

I have mentioned before in other posts that I struggle with living in the present at times. I tend to be one who looks ahead and fantasizes what will happen next. I regularly will catch myself looking past what I am currently doing in anticipation of “tomorrow”. Although this mindset is helpful in planning and being proactive, too much looking ahead has me missing out on the “now”.  

This passage reminds me to live in the “now”. I had a Bible professor in college who once said, “Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday”. He never referenced a verse when he made this statement. However, I can see how this statement can be formed from the core of this verse as well as others like James 4:13-15 and Philippians 4:6. Here are a few guiding thoughts for me as I look at this passage.

First of all, planning is good, but it is only a guide. I can plan all I want for tomorrow, however, I still have to walk through a day that has many unknowns. I have to deal with people and people don’t always see things how I see them. They don’t always act as I expect them to act. God will also place people and situations into my day that I did not expect. Two proverbs come to mind when I think about this concept: Proverbs 16:9, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” And, Proverbs 19:21, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Ultimately, plans are good, but God’s will is likely to be different than what I have planned. And…people are on their own journeys as well. Their journey is not my journey.

A second thought I referenced in my blog post Destination. I continue to live my life as if I’m looking to “arrive”. I look to a far off destination instead of working through a journey. When I live like this I miss what is happening in the “now”. I also live in anticipation so deeply at times that when I do arrive at a destination, I find it wasn’t what I had hoped for. Furthermore, when I live this way, I see destinations that seem to be out of reach and I become discouraged. It is okay to dream and have a vision of the future, but when it drives me, I lose sight of what this passage is about.

A third thought is this: Each day comes with a unique set of circumstances. No two days are alike. No matter how boring or routine the day may seem, God still makes it unique. A challenge for me when life seems to get boring is to look where God is working. I may not see visible signs of His work in my life therefore; I must look at the lives of others. If I am daydreaming and looking to tomorrow, I miss the work God is doing today. When I see God’s work in others, it inspires me to move in that moment as well.  

Finally, when I devote some time each day to recognizing blessings in my life and giving thanks for those blessings, it brings me into the present. I notice God more when I take time to notice His blessings, even in the midst of a rough day.  

The core of this passage (and the ones that relate to it) is an area I need to focus on more in my life. I must live in the “now”, be open to God’s will for the day, enjoy the journey, look to others’ journeys, and count my blessings. Putting these thoughts into practice will help me be present for today. Today is the day. 

Questions/challenges:

1. Describe some ways you live for “arrival”.
2. What are some journey steps you may have missed by living for the future?
3. Describe a time where you had plans but God’s purpose made that day an about face?
4. Looking back at that situation, what did you learn? Where did God take you?
5. This week, write down ten blessings in your life as you start each day. Pay attention to what God does each of those days.  

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