The statement that tomorrow never comes first appeared in English literature (as far as anyone knows) in the writing of Jean Froissart in 1523, since then it has been the theme of many books, songs and even films. The original thought was that you should never put off until tomorrow what can be done today, because when it is tomorrow it will in fact be today – there is no such day as tomorrow! The poet Carl Sandberg wrote: ‘Yesterday is done. Tomorrow never comes. Today is here. If you don’t know what to do, sit still and listen. You may hear something. Nobody knows.’ When Jesus said “Don’t worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.” (CEV) He had a different idea in mind.
The practice of living one day at a day is spoken of throughout the scripture. In the very beginning God spoke of his creative work being undertaken one day at a time and when he fed the people in the wilderness they were to go out each day to gather food. The oil that kept the lamps lit in the temple was to be collected each day, the only exception being on the Sabbath because that was a day on which no work could be done. When the labourers in Jesus parable worked in the Vinyard they expected to be paid at the end of each day (Matthew 20:1-16), and of course in the prayer he taught his disciple and recorded in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus told them to ask for their daily bread. In a world almost obsessed with plans and schemes well into the future it is good to be reminded to focus on what needs to be done today.
Jesus is of course reinforcing his message that God will provide but that our focus should be on his kingdom and not be anxious or worry about what will happen in the future. Someone wrote: the average person’s worry and anxiety focuses on
• 40% of things that will never happen
• 30% of things about the past that can’t be changed
• 12% of things about criticism by others, mostly untrue
• 10% about health, which gets worse with stress
• 8% about real problems that will be faced
And another said: Leave tomorrow’s trouble to tomorrow’s strength; tomorrow’s work to tomorrow’s time; tomorrow’s trial to tomorrow’s grace and to tomorrow’s God.
The writer of the book of Lamentations found himself in a desperate situation, he had been thrown in the bottom of a cistern, was ridiculed and abused all for giving the people God’s warning to change their ways: He wrote: “I cannot find peace or remember happiness. I tell myself, “I am finished! I can’t count on the LORD to do anything for me.” Just thinking of my troubles and my lonely wandering makes me miserable. That’s all I ever think about, and I am depressed. Then I remember something that fills me with hope. The LORD’s kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed. The LORD can always be trusted to show mercy each morning. Deep in my heart I say, “The LORD is all I need; I can depend on him!”” (Lamentations 3:17-24 CEV). Other translations record that God’s mercies are fresh every morning.
We don’t need to rely on yesterday’s blessings. Or borrow from tomorrows. God blesses us daily with his presence and provision, as the song says
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me (Thomas O. Chisholm 1923)
Richard W.Foster 