Few words carry as much emotional weight as tomorrow. It can stir anticipation, anxiety, fear, or longing. For some, tomorrow represents opportunity; for others, uncertainty. Scripture speaks often about tomorrow—not to give false assurance, but to redirect the believer’s hope away from control and toward trust in God’s unchanging promises.
The Yesterday About Tomorrow
Together, the Hebrew מָחָר (machar) and the Greek αὔριον (aurion), both translated “tomorrow,” present a unified biblical theology of the future that underscores human limitation and God’s absolute sovereignty.
In the Old Testament, machar often marks a divinely appointed time, emphasizing that future events—whether deliverance, judgment, or provision—occur according to the Lord’s sovereign decree rather than human control (Exodus 9:5–6; Joshua 11:6; Proverbs 27:1). In the New Testament, aurion carries this theme forward by confronting anxiety and presumption, calling believers to humble dependence on God’s providential care (Matthew 6:34; James 4:13–15).
Read together through a Reformed lens, these terms affirm that tomorrow is neither random nor autonomous, but fully governed by God, inviting believers to rest confidently in His covenant promises and live faithfully before Him today.
The Fragility of Tomorrow in Scripture
In Scripture, tomorrow is consistently presented as uncertain from a human perspective. James warns, “You do not know what tomorrow will bring” (James 4:14). This is not meant to produce fear, but humility. The Bible reminds us that time itself is not ours to command. Plans, intentions, and expectations must be held loosely before a sovereign God.
Proverbs echoes this truth: “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” (Proverbs 27:1). The future is fragile in human hands—but never uncertain in God’s.
God Is Already in Tomorrow
While Scripture limits human certainty about tomorrow, it never limits God’s authority over it. Reformed theology emphasizes that God is sovereign over time itself. He declares “the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10). Tomorrow is unknown to us, but it is fully known—and ordained—by God.
This truth transforms how believers view the future. Tomorrow is not a threat to faith, but a reminder of dependence. Every unknown is already held within the wise and loving plan of God.
The Anxiety of Tomorrow
Jesus directly addresses anxiety about the future in Matthew 6:34: “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.” Christ does not deny future trouble; He reorients trust. The Father who faithfully provides today will remain faithful tomorrow.
By grounding hope in God’s character rather than circumstances, Jesus frees His followers from the burden of imagined futures. Worry assumes responsibility God never intended us to carry.
Biblical Hope Is Not Wishful Thinking
In Scripture, hope is not optimism—it is certainty rooted in promise. Biblical hope looks forward with confidence because it rests on God’s faithfulness, not human prediction. The believer’s ultimate tomorrow is secured by Christ’s finished work.
Romans 8 reminds us that the future glory of believers is certain, even while present suffering remains. Christian hope acknowledges pain, uncertainty, and weakness, yet confidently waits for what God has promised.
Tomorrow Shaped by Promise, Not Fear
Because God is faithful, believers are free to plan wisely without placing their trust in the plan itself. James reminds us to say, “If the Lord wills” (James 4:15), recognizing that every tomorrow unfolds according to God’s purpose.
This posture does not paralyze action—it purifies it. We work, plan, and hope with open hands, confident that God’s promises cannot fail, even when tomorrow looks different than expected.
The Ultimate Tomorrow
Scripture consistently points beyond the next day to the final tomorrow—the day when Christ returns, faith becomes sight, and God’s promises are fully realized. Revelation describes a future where sorrow, pain, and death are no more. This eternal tomorrow anchors every lesser one.
For believers, the future is not uncertain—it is secure. Our greatest hope is not that tomorrow will be easier, but that God will be faithful, just as He has always been.
Conclusion
The Bible’s teaching on tomorrow humbles human pride and strengthens godly hope. We are not promised control over the future, but we are promised the presence and faithfulness of God in every tomorrow He ordains.
As believers, our hope does not rest in what tomorrow may bring, but in the God who brings tomorrow—and who keeps every promise He has made.
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.”
—Lamentations 3:22–23
May our hearts rest not in certainty about tomorrow, but in confidence in the God who holds it.
Dawn Zauner 