Matthew 5:33-37

Matthew 5:33-37 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  I make plans.  You make plans.  We do, and we have to.  It's critical for our lives to move forward to have plans, both specific plans for what we'll do today and general plans for what the future might look like.  It's hard to imagine telling my boss that I won't set up any meetings for next week because I don't really know what the future will be like.  He'd probably tell me that I will have lots of availability!
  What Jesus is reminding us here is that we can't guarantee anything.  When we make pledges or promises, we can't do so in God's name, because we can't be sure that what we promise will happen.  We may have the best of intentions, but only God can say things with certainty.  The rest of us rely upon God, so let's not put ourselves in God's place by promising on God's behalf that something will or will not happen.  We truly don't know, so we are right to humble ourselves and simply let our words stand on their own. We do the best we can with what we know, but the future is in God's hands, which is the best and safest place for it!