Wait Until Tomorrow, Expect More Sorrow

Wait Until Tomorrow, Expect More Sorrow

A man struggling with addiction once said: "I hated the life I was living… but it was familiar."

Every day he made the same promise to himself:

• "Tomorrow I'll stop."
• "Tomorrow I'll get help."
• "Tomorrow I'll change."

But tomorrow kept moving.

Sometimes people stay in bondage not because they enjoy the pain, but because they've become comfortable with what's familiar. That comfort - that dangerous familiarity - is exactly what we see in the life of Pharaoh.

The Warning Before the Plague

"And the Lord spoke to Moses, 'Go to Pharaoh and say to him, Thus says the Lord: Let My people go, that they may serve Me. But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with frogs. So the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into your house, into your bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your servants, on your people, into your ovens, and into your kneading bowls. And the frogs shall come up on you, on your people, and on all your servants.'"

• Exodus 8:1-4 (NKJV)

Before the frogs ever came, God gave Pharaoh:

• A warning
• A command
• An opportunity to obey

Pharaoh was not going to suffer because God was cruel. He was going to suffer because he was willing to resist what God had already made clear.

When Others Can Only Add to the Problem

"Then the Lord spoke to Moses, 'Say to Aaron, Stretch out your hand with your rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.' So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt."

• Exodus 8:5-7 (NKJV)

There is almost an irony in this passage. The magicians could imitate the plague - they could add to the frogs already present - but they could not remove them.

How many times do we choose to surround ourselves with people who can only contribute to our problem, rather than those who can help solve it?

Pharaoh's sin didn't stay contained to him alone. It spread. It affected everyone in his country. That is the nature of sin - it doesn't isolate, it expands. It mutates. Sin is ultimately a heart issue, and if the heart issue is never dealt with, the source of the problem still exists.

"Tomorrow" - The Most Dangerous Word

"Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, 'Entreat the Lord that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord.' And Moses said to Pharaoh, 'Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only.' So he said, 'Tomorrow.'"

• Exodus 8:8-10 (NKJV)

Pharaoh had a choice. Moses essentially said - you name the time. You pick when you want to be free. And Pharaoh, surrounded by frogs in his bedroom, on his bed, in his kitchen, looked at Moses and said... tomorrow.

Think about that. As much as he hated those frogs, he chose to sleep with them one more night.

Most of us would say that sounds absolutely crazy. Most of us would say we wouldn't rest if even one frog was in our house when we went to bed.

And yet - if we're honest - we do the same thing every day.

What Are Your Frogs?

A frog is described as an amphibious, unclean animal. It lives beneath the water and above the water. It occupies two worlds at the same time.

Much like our sins.

Some frogs are obvious to everyone around us - outbursts of anger, jealousy, gossip. Other frogs we keep hidden - addictions, unforgiveness, bitterness. Frogs can even come in the form of relationships: things and people we know we need to remove from our lives in order to truly serve God and become everything He's called us to be.

But we keep saying tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the busiest day of the week, based on everything we plan to get done when it finally arrives.

Why Are We So Comfortable Sleeping With the Frogs?

Because we have become desensitized to them.

There is an old story about a wolf and a knife. A wolf found a bone lodged in his throat and was in tremendous pain. A crane offered to reach its long beak down and remove the bone. After the crane successfully removed it, the wolf walked away without a word of thanks. The crane called after him, "What about my reward?" The wolf turned and snarled, "You put your head in a wolf's mouth and got it back safely - that IS your reward."

The point is simple: familiarity with danger convinces us the danger no longer exists. We've been sleeping with our frogs so long, we've stopped noticing the smell.

Why are the frogs in our lives? Sin. Rebellion. Disobedience.

The plague may be removed, but if the heart is unchanged, the frogs will return.

God Expects Action - Today

"Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today,' that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.'"

• Hebrews 3:12-15 (ESV)

God is not asking for your plan. He's asking for your obedience - today.

A Revealing Slip

At the close of a Sunday morning service, a man came forward visibly moved and convicted. With tears in his eyes and a trembling voice, he reached out to take my hand and meant to say: "My life is full of sin."

But what came out was: "My sin is full of life."

The moment the words left his mouth, he caught his mistake and corrected himself. But in reality, his first statement was the real reason for the second. His sin was full of life - and that is why his life was full of sin.

That is a word for someone today.

Five Declarations Against the "Tomorrow Syndrome"

1. "I choose obedience today - not tomorrow."

"Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."

• Hebrews 3:15

2. "I refuse to spend another night with what God wants to remove."

"Now is the day of salvation."

• 2 Corinthians 6:2

3. "I will not trade temporary comfort for long-term bondage."

"Whom the Son sets free is free indeed."

• John 8:36

4. "I reject the deception that I have unlimited time."

"You do not know what tomorrow will bring."

• James 4:14

5. "I surrender fully to God today."

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart..."

• Proverbs 3:5-6

A Final Word

Pharaoh refused to release what God told him to let go. The end result was the loss and destruction of everything he held as important.

Right now, God is revealing to you the sins, habits, possessions, and people that you need to release. Here is a challenge to take home with you:

1. Look honestly at all of the frogs in your home and in your life.
2. Make a list of them - name them.
3. Call on Jesus and ask Him to help you remove them.
4. And when He asks you when you'd like the frogs gone - don't say tomorrow.

Pharaoh chose extreme discomfort over immediate freedom. Sin will always convince you to delay your deliverance while it quietly destroys you.

Jesus didn't come so you could learn to manage your frogs. He came so you could be delivered from them - completely.

"The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost."

• Luke 19:10

"While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

• Romans 5:8

As the Winans sang: "Who said tomorrow would ever come for you?... Tomorrow is not promised. Don't let this moment slip away. Your tomorrow could very well begin today."

Don't say tomorrow. Today is the day.

Discussion Questions

1. Name your frogs. Pharaoh knew exactly what was plaguing him, but still delayed his freedom. What is one "frog" in your life you've been aware of for a long time but have continued to postpone dealing with? What has kept you from addressing it today?
2. Comfort in chaos. The sermon describes how people stay in bondage not because they enjoy the pain, but because the familiar feels safe. In what areas of your life have you confused familiarity with peace? How can you begin to tell the difference?
3. Who's in your circle? The magicians in Exodus could add to the frogs but could never remove them. Think about the people you turn to most often when you're struggling. Are they helping you move toward freedom, or are they adding to the weight you're already carrying?
4. Desensitized to the danger. We can become so used to our sin that we stop recognizing the harm it causes - to ourselves and to others. Is there a behavior, habit, or relationship in your life that you've gradually stopped taking seriously? What would it look like to see it the way God sees it?
5. Today, not tomorrow. Hebrews 3:13 calls us to encourage one another every day as long as it is called "today." What is one concrete, specific step you can take this week - not someday, not eventually - to begin removing a frog from your life? Who can hold you accountable to it?