WE MUST NEVER COUNT ON TOMORROW
1. TO DO WHAT GOD WANTS DONE TODAY.
A. It makes us vulnerable to the enemy.
2 Timothy 2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
– Israel during the exodus. What if they delayed to follow God’s instructions to leave immediately ? Was timing important ? In this and many things timing is important !
Exodus 14:9 But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharoah, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.
– Joseph and Mary. Joseph had a business. He had responsibilities. Maybe payments on a home, on a donkey, or other household things. Yet, he recognized that when God says it’s time, he must comply.
Matthew 2:13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth unto Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
B. God places time limits on what He wants done. There is a limited window of opportunity for your salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:2 (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.
– Some see this time limit as unreasonable. Not so. In order to have everything work out for God, it must have time limits, and the time the world has is running out !
Genesis 6:3 And the LORD said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
Psalms 32:6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
2. GOD’S TIMING HAS BETTER SUCCESS THAN TRYING THINGS OUR WAY.
* Can’t expect to understand everything God says to do.
A. Israel trying to keep an opportunity open.
Exodus 16:20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
3. MUST HAVE A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD TODAY. NO PROMISE TO OBTAINING IT TOMORROW.
A. Hardening of the heart can set in when the Holy Spirit is already speaking and you refuse Him.
Proverbs 29:1 He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
B. You could be even more confused tomorrow because of unexpected circumstances.
C. You could be dead tomorrow.
Take for instance the rich man who had great plans. Huge portfolio. Heard from all his financial advisors, accountants and financial strategists. He decided to expand his business and build bigger barns. But in all the listening he did, he refused to listen to God.
Luke 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided ?
– When God calls, man must answer, and not count on tomorrow. Excuses not accepted.
Luke 9:59 And He said unto another, Follow Me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
There was a bus worker in a certain southern state who had become extremely excited about expanding his ministry and reaching more children. He told everyone how excited he was about reaching a particular community. His family and friends were also excited for him. But his excitement fizzled out and for one reason or another he was just never able to make it where he had intended to go. He died suddenly and without notice one day and was never able to do that work for the Lord.
None of us really think that we will die soon, but only God knows when our time will be up. We may have an anuerism one day or a fatal accident – the important thing is to do what we can with today.
We are alive today – not to live for tomorrow – but to accomplish today what God wants done. You can’t count on tomorrow – but you can count on now !
Older people sometimes wait till tomorrow thinking that they will feel better then, but many times don’t. Young people sometimes count on tomorrow to bring them increased opportunities for the Lord, and they end up missing the opportnities of today.
We must fulfill our obligations to the Lord every day !
Psalm 61:8 So will I sing praise unto Thy name forever, that I may daily perform my vows.
The enemy comes against us daily, so the spiritual battle in our lives must be for each day ! Otherwise, the enemy will overwhelm us while we are looking toward the horizon for something more tomorrow.
Psalm 56:2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O Thou most high.
