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

“People should not make plans without considering the uncertainty of life and the danger of overconfidence” – Source Unknown

Taking a quick read of today’s verse, we could jump to the wrong conclusion that planning is a bad thing. But as we’ll see planning isn’t a sinful act, it’s how we plan that calls for caution. Not planning at all would go against everything we were taught from childhood to our adult lives. We even have famous quotes like, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail” attributed to Benjamin Franklin. So we do need to be diligent in understanding how to prepare for tomorrow. God even instructed the Israelites to prepare for the sabbath. “Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” – Exodus 16:29-30. Which makes it clear that preparing for the future has been a biblical idea since the earliest bible times. Most commentary on this verse provides the same core message and focuses on the word “boast.” Meaning we can plan for tomorrow. But we need to do it humbly and prayerfully with God’s wisdom, not our own. Planning in our own wisdom, will ultimately lead to misfortune, and as today’s verse warns, boasting. For if we had no help in making the plan, then the success of the plan will be all ours to celebrate. Solomon then concludes this verse with another wise observation. How can we boast about the unknown, if by definition [unknown] literally means that we don’t have a clue about the future. So in all, understand that planning is necessary and makes us good stewards of our blessings. But arrogant planning, outside of any discernment from God, leads to boasting and foolishness.