I was reading in the Book of Exodus the other day, and one word jumped out at me. God had sent the plague of frogs on Egypt and Pharaoh had called Moses back begging him to get rid of the frogs which were everywhere. They were in the homes, the stables, the palace, in Pharaoh’s bed, everywhere. So, Moses goes back to Pharaoh and in answering Pharaoh, Moses asked him “When do you want the frogs gone?”
Now we get to the word that jumped out at me. Pharaoh said…… tomorrow. TOMORROW?????? Pharaoh had the man standing in front of him who miraculously put that frog plague on them and when given the choice to have them gone, he said TOMORROW. He could have said “today”, he could have said “right now”, but he said “tomorrow”. He decided to spend one more night in bed with the frogs.
Now, I’ve never been accused of being the “brightest” bulb in the lamp, but really, tomorrow? I think I would have made a better choice, but would I really have said “right now”? What would you have said?
I’m sure that Pharaoh did everything in his power to get rid of those frogs, but nothing worked, they just kept coming. I think when he got rid of one, two more would show up. The situation was simply more than he could handle and there was nothing he could do about it except go to a higher power.
As I sit here trying to figure out how to tie this all together with Gospel Music, my mind is running as fast as those frogs were jumping into Pharaoh’s bed. Then it hit me, when we’re all out singing this weekend we are all supposed to stop and have fried frog legs. I love fried frog legs, but it seems there should be something a little more spiritual about this situation. Maybe Dianne Wilkinson and Janice Crow are supposed to write a Gospel song about frogs. I checked with them and they didn’t feel the inspiration needed to write a Gospel song about a frog.
Then it hit me. This isn’t about frogs at all. Maybe it’s not even about Gospel Music. Maybe it’s about TOMORROW. I used to believe in that old adage, why do it today, if I can put it off until tomorrow. In my younger days that seemed to make sense to me, however as I have grown older and life has smacked me in the face a few times, I have realized that I don’t have as tomorrows ahead of me as I have yesterdays behind me.
I don’t want to wake up dead one day and stand before God as He shows me what all I could have done if I hadn’t used up all my tomorrows. There’s and old song that my old group, The Sunday Edition used to sing. Written by Charles C. Luther that song says “Must I Go And Empty Handed”. What a sobering thought. I’ve been a Christian for 60 years and when I look at my hands, I wonder if God sees a fruitful abundance or are they just empty hands because I was going to do it tomorrow.
There’s a song in the movie Annie that when she sings it before she is getting adopted and she sings “Tomorrow, tomorrow, I’ll love you tomorrow, you’re ALWAYS a day away”. However, when she sings it the day she is about to be adopted she sings “Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love you tomorrow, you’re ONLY a day away”. Which way are you and I looking at tomorrow?
Will you be busy tomorrow trying to do things to help your fellow man, or will you be just whatever it takes to get you by until tomorrow? Will you share what God has done in your life tomorrow with that lady who has lost her husband and now trying to raise children on her own, or that teenager who is being tempted and on the verge of experimenting with drugs? We never know what is going on in the lives of those around us. The one sitting next to you at work, the housewife whose house you are going to for a repair or installation of some sort, or maybe just that person in front of you or behind you in the line at the store, are you willing to open yourself up a little and take a chance that God may just be trying you get you to reach out to other people, so HE can reach out to them.
I have so much more that I want to do for God. I have so many more songs that I want to sing to tell the message of how His Son died for me and you and all the world. Tomorrow is ONLY a day away, and what will you do with that tomorrow.
Just in case this should have been about frogs, place an order of frog legs for me and I’ll be right there.
Deon
