January 5 | James 4:13-17
“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow, we will go to this city or that city and we will do this for a year and we will go and we will profit.” No one knows what your life will be like tomorrow; for it is a vapor that appears for a little while, but thereafter it disappears. Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will do this or that.” But do not boast in your arrogance— all such boasting is evil. Therefore, the one who has known what is good and does not do it, to Him it is sin.” (James 4:13-17)
We are so used to planning and scheduling that we don’t think about the frailty of life. Who knows when your time to go home to heaven will be? Yet we plan like immortals. There’s nothing wrong with schedules and plans.
Beyond immortality, we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. In September 2013, I became paralyzed from the neck down in less than 30 minutes. I didn’t see that coming. But I look forward to God’s healing.
That drastically changed the way I live my life for God. I still serve Him, but in different capacities. When we plan for the future, we need to leave room for God in our plans. James tells His congregation to consider God’s will in their planning.
Action Step: When you plan your days, consider divine appointments and other ways God wants to use you. Think of how you can enter God’s presence every day. Leave time for devotions, prayer, Bible reading, and spiritual disciplines.
Jesus, I want to leave room for You to do incredible things in my life. As I plan my days, I make You the focus and center of each one. I refuse to ignore Your presence in my life. Grab my attention and don’t pass me by.
