I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

Admitting what it cannot know is where "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow" starts. The opening lines, "I don't know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day," refuse to borrow from the sunshine or worry about the future, and the second verse gives the reason: "I know what Jesus said." That echoes Matthew 6:34, where Jesus tells his listeners not to be anxious about tomorrow.

The refrain holds the hinge of the hymn. "Many things about tomorrow I don't seem to understand" is allowed to stand, but it is answered by two short claims of knowledge, who holds tomorrow and who holds my hand. The hand image recalls Isaiah 41:13, where God takes hold of his people's right hand and says do not fear.

Later verses shift from trust to anticipation. The climb up "golden stairs" lightens every burden, clouds turn silver-lined, and the final picture is a place where the sun always shines and no tear dims the eye, a line close to Revelation 21:4. Present uncertainty and future comfort are joined by the same companion, and the hymn never claims to have solved the questions it raises.