June 28, 2009 marked the passing of well known pitchman, Billy Mays. Shortly after his death, a friend pointed out his Twitter to me. For those who are not familiar with Twitter it is similar to the status function on Facebook. In fact, that is all that it is. You are able to post your “status” to people who befriend you. My friend showed me Mays Twitter in order to point out the “last words” of Mays posted to the website. “You can always count on US Air,” was posted by Mays a day before his death. I began looking through Mays Twitter to read what bits of news or wisdom he may have left behind. As I read, I noticed a trend in the posts he made. Most stated the destination in mind for Mays, the plans behind his travels, and his plans for the future. As I read, I could not help but ask one question? Where was God in his plans?
That’s the question that James asked. “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow 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 vapour, 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.” (James 4:14-16).
Here, we have a group of people who had great plans for the future. These people were certain that these actions would come to pass. They had the time they would depart set. The time these would stay in “such a city” was set at a definite time period. The time of arrival and the time each would depart from the city was set without any reference to the will of God. James reminds these people of the brevity of life. He states the uncertainty of the next day may bring. In fact, no one on this planet is promised a tomorrow. We are only promised the present. James refers to life as a vapor. Think of stepping outside on a cold winter’s day. You are able to see your breath as it exits from your mouth and then it quickly vanishes away. That is how brief life truly is. Now, James does not mean that one should literally say “If the Lord wills…” in every aspect of their lives. We do not say, “If the Lord wills, I will walk into this room…open this door…eat a bowl of soup.” In fact, such use would cause such a phrase to become meaningless. Instead, one should be constantly aware of God’s presence, not rejoicing in the idea that he or she is living a “sufficient” life without the help of God, the one who provides all that man needs (Matthew 6:25-33). Are we aware of the Great Being who is ever present in our lives? Remember the brevity of this life and the One who makes all life possible. Our lives are as a breath on a cold winter morning. It is there for a moment and gone.
That’s the question that James asked. “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow 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 vapour, 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.” (James 4:14-16).
Here, we have a group of people who had great plans for the future. These people were certain that these actions would come to pass. They had the time they would depart set. The time these would stay in “such a city” was set at a definite time period. The time of arrival and the time each would depart from the city was set without any reference to the will of God. James reminds these people of the brevity of life. He states the uncertainty of the next day may bring. In fact, no one on this planet is promised a tomorrow. We are only promised the present. James refers to life as a vapor. Think of stepping outside on a cold winter’s day. You are able to see your breath as it exits from your mouth and then it quickly vanishes away. That is how brief life truly is. Now, James does not mean that one should literally say “If the Lord wills…” in every aspect of their lives. We do not say, “If the Lord wills, I will walk into this room…open this door…eat a bowl of soup.” In fact, such use would cause such a phrase to become meaningless. Instead, one should be constantly aware of God’s presence, not rejoicing in the idea that he or she is living a “sufficient” life without the help of God, the one who provides all that man needs (Matthew 6:25-33). Are we aware of the Great Being who is ever present in our lives? Remember the brevity of this life and the One who makes all life possible. Our lives are as a breath on a cold winter morning. It is there for a moment and gone.
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