LEARNING DAILY

James 4:13-15, Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit" yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."

James writes about the arrogance of imagining one has over their own life. The person James is describing lives as if tomorrow never comes. This person is obsessed with making money, getting more of material things. One might think this “business plan” is not a bad thing; the problem lies in being self-reliant. This person is not a bad person. I would believe his confidence, goal setting, and profit motivated thoughts would get him hired by most companies. His actions are not in question. His attitude is the issue. He has made all his plans without consideration of God’s will.

Is anyone able to see yourself in this individual? Let me say I regret so many decisions based on confidence in my ability to make decisions and justifications than I can count. Yes, the decisions cost me something each time. Too many times, “it” looked good, and I knew God was in it. I did not need to consult Him. Wrong! I should have said, “Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." This is approaching tomorrow with humility and dependence on God; it is an acknowledgement that only He knows the future. Proverbs 27:1 adds to this, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” Perhaps greater consideration should be made about how we are living today than thinking about tomorrow. I would offer that goes for living for the prophesies we are seeing about the days ahead as well – live today living ready for the trumpet to blow to meet King Jesus in the air.

James is not being pessimistic here nor is he denying sound planning. He is condemning those who do not seek God in their planning. “You do not know what tomorrow will bring!” Too many people live as if this life is all there is. James asks, “What is your life?” Then He answers, “You are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” A vapor is here one moment and gone the next. You might not have recognized that, but life goes by quickly! If you realize how fragile and dependent you truly are, you are making a major step toward being free from the pursuit of cash, power, and pleasure. James is more concerned about day to day, being aware every moment depending on God’s grace.

I want to end this today with a reminder that God does not hide His will from Believers when they earnestly and diligently seek it. He wants you to know what it is and walk in it! He wants every Believer to be dependent on Him, asking Him His will before we make plans, and then trusting Him for the results. It is time to pay attention to James’ advice and stop making foolish presumptions about tomorrow. It is the only way to have a proper perspective on life and to walk the narrow way aligned with the Lord’s priorities.