Don’t Count on Tomorrow | Proverbs 3:28
Devotional
“Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it’—when you have it with you.”
Proverbs remains one of my favorite books in the Bible because it contains short, insightful statements that can stand on their own. But that simplicity can also make Proverbs easy to misunderstand when we pull a verse out of its context.
In today’s verse, one might explain that you should never hold onto things longer than needed. If something belongs to your neighbor, it is theirs and you should return it in a timely manner. Others may use this verse to reiterate that we shouldn’t put off until tomorrow what can be done today.
Verses can be taken very literally, or they can be interpreted more loosely. We’re all guilty of doing both at times, often to support a point we want to make. That’s why it’s important to understand the context before assuming the application we’ve heard is the only one.
At its core, this verse is about not withholding good when we have the ability to do it. But I think there is a broader principle we can apply to our own lives: when we have the opportunity to do something good today, we shouldn’t assume tomorrow will be just as convenient.
Let’s say we know we have to do a workout either Tuesday or Wednesday. On Tuesday, we decide both days work equally, so I’ll just push the workout to Wednesday. I’m guilty of this on more than one occasion, and on more than one occasion, it has been a poor decision.
Sometimes I get held up at work the second day and it affects my workout. Other times I may sleep poorly the night between and it also has an effect on my workout.
How I see it is that you don’t know what tomorrow will bring, so we shouldn’t count on it for something we were more than capable of doing today.
The workout isn’t the “good” that Proverbs is talking about, but the principle of unnecessary delay still applies.
So as we continue lifting on a schedule, do the work when you are able. Don’t make assumptions about the future only to find out you were better prepared before.
When you have an opportunity to do good, don’t unnecessarily put it off. Whether that means helping a neighbor or completing the work you’ve been given, don’t assume tomorrow will give you the same opportunity.
Do what you can today, while continuing to love the Lord and your neighbor.
Workout
As we move into this week, it will look similar to last week’s workout. There will be some refinement, but in most cases strength training is boring. Progressive overload is slow and comes from repeating the same lifts, increasing the load and only changing the lift once you plateau.
For this week, it’s very similar to last week, so let’s go heavier and move some weight.
Day One (Upper):
Bench Press: 10, 8, 8, 6
Weight Pull-ups: 3x8
DB Shoulder Press: 10, 8, 6
One-arm DB Row: 12, 10, 8
DB Lateral Raise: 15, 12, 12, 10
1. Finish with 2 Drop Sets
Day Two (Lower):
Squat: 8, 6, 6, 6
Barbell RDL: 10, 8, 8, 6
Single-leg Hip Thrust: 3x12
DB Reverse Lunge: 12, 10, 8
Ab Wheel: 3x15
Day Three (Upper):
Incline Bench Press: 10, 8, 8, 6
Barbell OHP: 10, 8, 6
Lat. Pulldowns: 12, 10, 10, 8
Chest Supported DB Row: 12, 10, 8
Seated Overhead Tricep Ext: 12, 10, 8
Finish with 2 Drop Sets
Close-grip Barbell Curl: 12, 10, 8
Finish with 2 Drop Sets
Day Four (Lower):
Deficit Deadlift: 8, 6, 6
Pause Squat: 10, 8, 6
Nordic Curls: 12, 13, 14
Goblet Squat: 8, 6, 6, 6
Lying Leg Raise: 4x15