James 4:13-17
13 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"--
14 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.
15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."
16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
The preacher started with this statement this morning: God's will is about our lives. I can't say I can agree with it without first qualifying it: God's will is first and foremost about Him and His kingdom, and what we do in respond to Him and His kingdom.
There are 3 options in James 4:
1. Ignore the will of God
We are not to act as if things are certain in life because they are not (v.13, 14, 16). Foolishness is never taking into consideration the complexities of life, and living as if all things are good to get. It won't do to ignore the will of God.
2. Disobey the the will of God
Be it pride or ignorance, we are not to disobey the will of God. His will is not an option but an obligation.
3. Obey the will of God
This should be the attitude of the heart. It leads us into a living relationship with God. Even though life will not be easier, we will be happier and holier.
pearlie
Picture by Rob Gregory
Good morning, Pearlie (or night, as it may be!) Being one who has recently said:
ReplyDelete"Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a -town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"--
And then had to stop and correct myself to say:
"If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."
I appreciate this reminder of by whom's will I live and by whom's mercy I achieve!
And I agree with your qualifier. Thanks for sharing!
We still plan, we need to plan but realising though that God's holds the key. Indeed, as you say, it is by his mercy we live.
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