Wednesday Reading: James 4 13-15
Key Verse: James 4 15
15 Instead of you saying, If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.
Key Verse: James 4 15
15 Instead of you saying, If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.
Devotion:
How many people do you know that have tried to plan some years into the future only to have everything in their lives turned upside down so that their plans were to no avail. No matter how hard or carefully we plan things out, there is no way that we will be able to think of everything and to cover all eventualities – we will always miss something. Trying to plan further and further into the future is about as good as trying to forecast the weather further and further into the future. A small mistake at the beginning leads to a huge difference in a few days.
How many people do you know that have tried to plan some years into the future only to have everything in their lives turned upside down so that their plans were to no avail. No matter how hard or carefully we plan things out, there is no way that we will be able to think of everything and to cover all eventualities – we will always miss something. Trying to plan further and further into the future is about as good as trying to forecast the weather further and further into the future. A small mistake at the beginning leads to a huge difference in a few days.
If we want to be able to plan into the future, then we have to plan for mistakes. The longer the plan, the more mistakes and the more complex the situation. We will end up having such a complex plan that we will not enjoy our stay. Yet if we are willing to be more flexible and accept changes as they happen, then we will be able to enjoy our stay. We do not know what is going to happen tomorrow, nor the next hour... We have a pretty good idea based on what has happened in the past, but there is always a certain amount of uncertainty.
To do our best, we need to depend on someone who does know what is going to happen. Someone who is not bound by the complexities of our time. Someone who is actually in charge whether we acknowledge Him or not! Our time is, therefore, not in our own hands, but in the hands of God. Because that is so, we need to make sure that we depend on Him to allow us to get the most benefit from His knowledge. Our own heads are filled with all sorts of expectations, desires, cares and worries – yet if we are willing and able to depend on God, none of those will be a big problem any more. They will still be there, but we will know that God can and will guide us correctly to obtain the best benefit from everything He has provided around us!
Points to Ponder:
How much do you worry about things?
How much do you really follow God's Will?
How much do you worry about things?
How much do you really follow God's Will?