“Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Proverbs 27:1

The proverbs are short, pithy nuggets of wisdom that God drops on us through His word. What is the wisdom of this one? Humility based on knowledge.

What’s the knowledge? You and I don’t know what tomorrow will hold. In other words, we are not the masters of our own fate; we are not in control. There is part of us that would like to play “god”. We would like to order with exact detail every circumstance of our life experience both in the present and in the future. The inability to do this (though some seem to have success in it for a time) causes frustration, anxiety, fear, anger and other vices that dishonor the Lord, hurt others and one’s self. The knowledge God gives in this verse is an assault on our pride: we are not in God’s seat…He is there and will stay there.

James 4:13-16 is a good companion passage to Proverbs 27:1. It warns against a proud planning of the future. God is not against wise stewardship or planning; that’s a wise way of living life. But, it is only wise when we think like James says, “…ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that” (James 4:15). Our times, our future, the future of our nation and the world…all these things are subject to “if the Lord will.”

These truths are humbling but also immensely comforting when properly applied. God’s will is not that we run around full of fear because we don’t what tomorrow holds. His call is to trust Him and commit ourselves to His care. The good, the bad, the peaceful, the frightening and everything in between is subject the providence of a good, wise Heavenly Father. Not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from Him (Matt. 10:29). Today and all the tomorrows are in God’s hands.

This should humble us in planning our lives out. Don’t quit responsible planning; just do it with the humble recognition that your plans may not perfectly coincide with God’s. This truth should help us enjoy each moment and day that we have. It should help us focus on being faithful to follow Christ today, not stressing over what we cannot control but being diligent where He has placed us.