Finally looking at the final verses of James 4. It’s been a great study so far delving into the guidelines for living a godly life.
13 Now listen, you who say, ”Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, ”If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. 17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.
James 4:13-17
We make our plans, meticulously figuring out our investments and long term payouts. Planning what we’re going to do on each day, filling out our planners so we don’t miss an appointment or activity. But, James is right, we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. And we shouldn’t be so sure that any of our plans depend on us. God’s will is much more powerful than our plans. It’s best to ask God what he wants us to do. Our plans being in line with his will would be the best plan we could possibly have.
Our plans are not really our own. We never know what day on this earth will be our last. Our lives are only for a brief time, so making good use of our time is important. And the best way to do that would be to align our will with God’s. How do we know what his will is? We ask him! We read his Word and get to know him. When we know him we’ll understand how we should live our lives.
Such wisdom in this short book! In the next few days we’ll finish this study with chapter 5. Stay tuned!
In Faith,
Pam
Where God Leads 