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.” As it is,
you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. James
4:13-16
I continue a pause of my study of Ecclesiastes to study James 4:13-4:17. This morning, I lean on DesiringGod.com's lab for 4:13-16 (Part 1) where John Piper takes a first pass at breaking down this text in detail. First, Piper broadly looks at the text, including the surrounding text (4:10-12, and 5:1-6), and shares how the key theme is pride. In vv13-14, Piper describes how James is urging us to see how our lives are short, fragile, and in God's hands (not in your control). In v15, Piper describes how the verse is a statement emphasizing God's providence in our lives where it is His will whether we live (every day) and what outcomes we experience - we are completely owned by the Lord, including our "doings". Piper describes this particular verse as one of the most powerful statements from scripture on God's sovereignty. Another example in scripture of God's sovereignty is 1 John 2:16. We are urged to heed James's words, including v16 where pursuits without seeking God's will are described as boasting and evil. Piper ends the lab by sharing how we should recognize our own brokenness and sin, thank God for every breath that we take, and seek God's will for all aspects of our lives.
Comment and discuss this post.
My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - giving me breath, live, and my salvation. Thank You God. Of course I am undeserving of all of this, as well as all the other blessings You pour out for me. My sin continues daily and it is great. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
