Reflections: Think back over the past week and remind yourself of all you had determined to accomplish that did not go according to plan. There are a million and one reasons why our plans change and do not always work out as intended. Yet, it is inevitable that changes are part of life. James wants us to live with that reality. He states emphatically in verse 14, “You do not know what will happen tomorrow.” He also goes on to remind us of another reality that often we would rather put out of our minds. He asks, “For what is your life?”, and responds in verse 14. “It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”
Think back over the past twenty years. How old were you then? How did you view those then who were as old as you are now? Think about how fast the time has gone by. Think of all of the changes that have taken place over that period of time. Let’s say that God provides you with another twenty years. How old would you be then? Think of the changes that will come into your life during that time and how quickly it will all pass by. James states bluntly that life is “a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” We know that is true. The longer we live, the more we are confronted with that truth personally.
So what is the bottom line? Recognize God in your life. Put Him in the very center of your plans. James concludes our passage this way: “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” The more we ponder that, the more we realize two things: 1. Boasting is evil (v.16) and 2. “To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (17) - not always easy for us to think about but important for us to consider.
I.
Questions
over the biblical passage: James 4:13-17
1.
Who is James
addressing in v. 13? How does he describe life? (14)
2.
How should we
qualify our plans for the future? (15)
3.
What does James
say about boasting? (16)
4.
To him who
knows what to do and doesn’t do it, it is ________. (17)
II.
Application:
1. What are some bench marks in your life that help you measure time?
2. What have been some of the most significant changes in your life?
3. Can it be that those changes and benchmarks happened so long ago?