Life seems to be inundated with questions and we are pushed to know what we want to study, where we want to work, and who we want to marry. Society tells us that we must be able to see our future and know our life. You see the world takes on the view that James writes about in chapter 4:13-17. "13 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.” 14 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.15
Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this
or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is
evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it
is sin for them." The world believes that they know where they are going and how much they are going to make, and when they are going to retire. They put their confidence in themselves and in their flesh. But God clearly shows us here that we have no control over tomorrow, or even the rest of today for that matter. It is good for you to not put your faith in what you think you know. It is a sin if you think that you will do things apart from God. He calls your planning arrogant schemes. Wow that hurts, and can be painful to hear, but it is required so that we may look to the Author and Perfecter of life in order to plan our lives. While not knowing still may scare some of you, I would encourage some of you with Matthew 6:26-27: " 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow
or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are
you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a
single hour to your life?" You see God designed us to lean on Him. When we decide to plan our lives in our own hands, we get overwhelmed and we worry. We forget that Abba will provide. We lose sight of who is guiding us, and we become prideful in our flesh and sin. So next time you are feeling overwhelmed by the uncertainties of life, praise God and thank God that you do not know. The only thing I take confidence in knowing, is that God is God! Ps. 46:10:"He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will
be exalted among the nations I will
be exalted in the earth.' " In the midst of not knowing I praise Him, because the one thing I know is the He is God. God doesn't call us to continue in our worry and busyness, no He says to be still and know that I am God. So next time you find yourself worrying about life, go and still your soul and know that He is the Lord!
His unworthy servant and your brother,
Stephen Hargis
