“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.” (James 4:13-15)
We have no right to take what we’ve not been given. Today is God’s gift. Only by His permission do we take our next breath. “In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10)
Planning things out helps lessen the stress of uncertainty. But how often do our plans go up in smoke? Our very lives are like a vapor that vanishes away. The life we imagined for ourselves is rarely the life we end up with. Jesus said, “Take no thought for tomorrow.” Does this mean we should make no short or long term plans? James tells us that if we are going to make plans, we need to hold them loosely. Our peace cannot depend on factors outside of our control.
The wise person places all things into God’s hands. He alone decides whether we will even live to see tomorrow, let alone see any of our dreams come true. And if that life we had in mind never materializes – may our testimony be: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21) Live today.