Wisdom Wednesday
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.†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. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.â€
James 4:13-15
It really is remarkable to think that anything could happen tomorrow. Nuclear war? It’s possible. A life-ending meteor that NASA missed. It’s possible. I die in my sleep. It’s possible. Or, tomorrow is just another ordinary day (my day off as it turns out). For many of us, this is a hard complex. Because life has just gone on pretty smoothly.
But I would encourage you to try to remember back to the beginning of 2020. We had begun to hear about this virus. It didn’t seem overly concerning to me. But then things started to get weird. We had the first restrictions. And then eventually, we were confined to our homes. Who saw that coming?
We had plans. You probably had plans.
It was a sobering reminder of exactly the wisdom that James points us to. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Now, does that mean we should never make any plans? No, that’s not the point.
Well, at the very least it’s as James says. We should remind ourselves of the nature of things through our language - by saying, if the Lord wills we will do this or that. Which reminds us of the fleetingness of humanity (we are but a mist), the sovereignty of God and also frees us from some worry.
Yes, see this last bit. Jesus said do not worry about tomorrow because today has enough worries of its own. How long we spend in stress and anxiety over things we can’t control. Will I get sick this week? Will this happen or this happen? Who knows. Like so many things, it’s out of our control. Trust God and ask this instead, what do you need to do today?
That’s wisdom. And it's wisdom that can lead to some peace.
For Today:
Pray:
Praise the Father that He is in control of all things and is working all things to the good of His people. Give thanks for Jesus Christ who trusted the Father in every situation. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others trust Him and be free of anxiety over the future.
James 4:13-15
It really is remarkable to think that anything could happen tomorrow. Nuclear war? It’s possible. A life-ending meteor that NASA missed. It’s possible. I die in my sleep. It’s possible. Or, tomorrow is just another ordinary day (my day off as it turns out). For many of us, this is a hard complex. Because life has just gone on pretty smoothly.
But I would encourage you to try to remember back to the beginning of 2020. We had begun to hear about this virus. It didn’t seem overly concerning to me. But then things started to get weird. We had the first restrictions. And then eventually, we were confined to our homes. Who saw that coming?
We had plans. You probably had plans.
It was a sobering reminder of exactly the wisdom that James points us to. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Now, does that mean we should never make any plans? No, that’s not the point.
Well, at the very least it’s as James says. We should remind ourselves of the nature of things through our language - by saying, if the Lord wills we will do this or that. Which reminds us of the fleetingness of humanity (we are but a mist), the sovereignty of God and also frees us from some worry.
Yes, see this last bit. Jesus said do not worry about tomorrow because today has enough worries of its own. How long we spend in stress and anxiety over things we can’t control. Will I get sick this week? Will this happen or this happen? Who knows. Like so many things, it’s out of our control. Trust God and ask this instead, what do you need to do today?
That’s wisdom. And it's wisdom that can lead to some peace.
For Today:
- What’s something in your life that you never saw coming?
- What’s one thing you worry about in the future?
- Reflect on this passage and find some peace of mind in God.
Pray:
Praise the Father that He is in control of all things and is working all things to the good of His people. Give thanks for Jesus Christ who trusted the Father in every situation. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others trust Him and be free of anxiety over the future.
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