By S. Lee Homoki
“Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Prov.27:1) “Go to now, ye that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:13-17).
Everything was going just fine when I retired for the evening after laying carpet in the workshop. I had a restful night of sleep and awakened early the next morning to let my “girls” (Daisy and Sassy) out for their morning walk. I then felt weak and wobbly as I walked back to my easy chair; felt light-headed too and broke out into a heavy perspiration and immediately knew something was terribly wrong. So, I attempted to call “Darlene” for help but, to no avail, because I had no voice and fell to the ground! Then, my son, Steve, lifted me up and called for the ambulance; the next thing I recall was awaking in the hospital and was informed that I had had a stroke! I soon discovered I could not walk or swallow! I was totally taken by surprise! No warning! No symptoms!
Times have not changed much nor has the heart and character of man changed over the years! People are just the same as when the words of our text were first spoken: “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Prov.27:1).
Like so many others, before me, I HAD SPOKEN PRESUMPTIOUSLY saying, “Tomorrow we will…; “Next Year we are going to …; “Next month we will finish etc, etc,. sometimes, I had even “road mapped” out my whole life and career – never anticipated anything like this; I was stopped in my tracks! Unable to move or walk! Looking up at the ceiling lights of a hospital room wondering if this is the way I must spend the rest of my life!
There is a problem with these well-made plans—no one can know what will happen tomorrow, to say nothing of a year in the future. These people were planning as if their future was assured. James, the Apostle, is not suggesting that they make no plans because of possible change, but to be realistic about the future as they trust God to guide them. Because the future is uncertain, it is even more important that we completely depend on God. Here in Michigan we a have a lot of fog in the morning; fog that covers the countryside and then is burned away by the sun. Life is short no matter how long we live. We shouldn’t be deceived into thinking we have plenty of time left to live for Christ, to enjoy our loved ones, or to do what we know we should. Today is the day to live for God! Then, no matter when our lives end, we will have fulfilled God’s plans for us.
The uncertainties of life have a way of coming home to us when such things occur, and we begin to wonder, “Can anything be certain, safe, or even probable, in such a changing world as this?” The answer, of course, is, “YES”, I believe we can see our way out of the “fog” of life – IF we seek and follow the will of God in all our ways! (Prov. 3:5-6).
Knowing the reality of the harsh circumstances that have befallen me has given me good pause to think, pray and offer some practical and Scriptural advice based on the verses before us to apply in a future crisis.
#1 TOMORROW!
“Go to now, ye that say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain,” (James 4:13).
In a meeting with a small group of missionaries in China, James Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission reminded them that there were three ways to do God’s work: “(1) We must make the best plans and carry them out to the best of our ability. (2) We must ask God to help and to prosper our plans in connection with our purposes. (3) We must begin with God; ask His plans, and to offer ourselves to Him to carry out His purposes.”
Planning is not evil! In fact, people are wise to plan ahead. The problem that James addressed in our text is that God was not included in those plans! This is arrogance; thinking they can go or do wherever they like and stay for as long as they like! Their way of planning was that there was no difference than the planning of any pagan; Christian people ought to know better!
In James 4:13, the apostle, sarcastically, says, “Go to now” (James 4:13) – you are acting like a fool! You are being ridiculous and proud to have so ordered your life in such manner; forgetting to include God in your plans! You are like the foolish person who believes he is the “captain of his own ship and the savior of his own soul in order to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” His instincts and passions rise not into the peaceful air of heaven; but, you continue to seek the things of the flesh; descending to the earth below. There is no future for the person there! It is a great folly to build hopes on that which may never come. My mother used to say, “Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched!”
Consider how our life hangs by a very thin ‘thread! “What is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time… and is gone forever! Live, rather, with eternities values in view; live for God; trust Him now, and serve Him now; for very soon your life on earth will be over LIFE IS SHORT! Counting on the future is foolishness.
# 2 TOMORROW IS ENSHROUDED IN MYSTERY
“Ye know not what shall be on the morrow” (Jam. 4:14)? “The secret things belong unto the LORD ourGod: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever” (Deut.29:29).
Tomorrow may bring love, hate, life or death – or who knows , we don’t know anything about our own personal future. The Apostle James speaks on this wise saying, “Will tomorrow come to us overloaded with sickness or health, prosperity or adversity?” We cannot tell. Tomorrow may mark the end of our life; possibly even the end of the age! Our ignorance of the future is certainly a mystery.
Who is God and what are His attributes? Of a certainty, He is Sovereign and He is Omniscient! Only God knows the future. All things are present to him; there is no past and no future to His all-seeing eyes. He dwells in the present tense evermore as the great I AM! He knows what will be on the morrow, and he alone knows. The whole course of the universe lies before him, like an open map. Men do not know what a day may bring forth, but God knows the end from the beginning. There are two great certainties about things that shall come to pass: (1) that God knows all and, (2) we do not know all. The songwriter has rightly said,
“I don’t know about tomorrow,
I just live from day to day.
There are things I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.”
Yes our heavenly Father knows; and this knowledge is enough to comfort and quiet our hearts.
Ignorance is bliss! I am thankful I do not know when my friends, family or when I will die; we cannot be here much longer! A few more days and we must go! Even if we live to be what people call “old age” and our lease of life runs out; the Psalmist said, in view of eternity, “Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. (Ps. 39:5).
I’m thankful the Lord knows the way through the wilderness and I am content to know that a cold grave is not our “resting place.” I am delighted that the day will soon come when we shall enjoy our inheritance, and be “forever with the Lord.” Until then, my heart will know no fear; the presence of the Lord makes even the “Golden Years” a haven of rest. We need to be content and leave the ordering of our lives to His infallible, loving care.
#3 TRUE WISDOM PLACES GOD’S WILL FIRST IN PLANNING FOR THE FUTRUE.
“For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that”(James4:15).
When we say, “If the Lord be willing” – it is the needed acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty (ruler ship) over all His work…He is Boss! This should be an automatic and natural part of our thinking when it comes to planning and prayer.
My Dad was a good example of this. His common response to circumstances and events was “Praise the Lord!” and “If God be willing.” It was Dad’s regular response; it was his way to acknowledge his dependence on the Lord.
Even if we do not verbalize the desire for the will of God to be played out at every junction of our lives; Let us so live that all will know that God’s purpose is given first place over all others plans or activities. We live our lives under His control knowing that no harm can come as a result of bowing down to God’s sovereign will.
The Apostle Paul set a good example in this regard too. Note the importance placed on the will of God.
- “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
- “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him that calleth” (Romans 9:11).
- “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth” (Romans 9:17).
- “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (Ephesians 1:11).
- “According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:11).
- “Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that He might comfort your hearts” (Ephesians 6:22).
…… because we know that nothing happens apart from God’s divine purpose and decrees.
The Scripture says, “The very hairs of your head are numbered” (Mt.10:30). I believe that all things are under His direction, and we have an appointed place in God’s plan; and nothings happen but what He ordains. Whatever our purposes may be, there is a higher power which we must ever acknowledge; and there is an omnipotent purpose, before which we must bow in respect, saying, “If the Lord wills.”
CONCLUSION:
May this be our resolve (“if the Lord will”) and be indelibly stamped; on every page of our life. It is a grand thing to be able to say, “Wherever I go, and whatever happens to me, I belong to God; and I can say that God will prepare my way as well when I am old and gray-headed as he did when I was a boy. He shall guide me all the way to that “blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). He was the guide of my youth, He shall be the guide of my old age. I will leave everything to Him, all the way from earth to heaven; and I will be content to live only a day at a time; and my happy song shall be “Jesus Led Me All the Way”!