James 4:13-14: Come Now, You Who Say, "Today Or Tomorrow We Will Go Into Such And Such A Town"

James 4:13–14
[13] 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”—[14] 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. (ESV)

I like to know what my future plans are. Do you? If there is uncertainty in my future I feel frustrated, restless, even irritable. I feel that James would be speaking to me when he says, "Come, now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go . . ." James raises a great point for us. We want to be confident in planning our future, but the reality is we have no idea what tomorrow may bring.

I suppose that tomorrow may bring a visit from the Publisher's Clearing House where I open the door and find out I have won millions of dollars. Not likely. I could have an accident and be physically out of commission. I could be visited by a long lost friend. All kinds of things are possible when it comes to tomorrow.

I do not think that James is advocating for us to not make plans. I think it is very wise to plan for our future. Yet, we do need to have perspective. Our life is like a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Whatever we do with our time it should not be wasted. It is far too precious. In fact, we are not even guaranteed a tomorrow. Our time could be over today.

My father used to say, "Our time will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last." This is wisdom. If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, the time for you to repent of your sin is now, not tomorrow. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ look at your tomorrow as an opportunity to share the love of Jesus with more people. Make your time count for eternity.

Time. It is running out for you and for me. Tomorrow is no guarantee. Whatever it brings may we be ready. Make sure that your heart is right with Jesus and look forward to what he wants for your tomorrow.

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