LIFE HAS NO PROMISES
JAMES 4:14
14) 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.
THE CHARACTER THAT WRITES THIS EPISTLE IS JAMES THE BROTHER OF JOHN AND THE HALF BROTHER OF JESUS HE IS ONLY REFERRED TO BY HIS NAME AND KNOWN FOR HIS WORKS OF THE SCATTERED BELIEVERS, HE IS THUS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADDRESS TO THE TWELVE SCATTERED TRIBES AND THIS EPISTLE IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE PROVERB OF THE
NEW TESTAMENT.
MOST OF US LIVE LIFE AS IF IT’S ETERNITY AND FORGET OUR LIFE HERE ON EARTH IS DETERMINED BY CHRONILOGICAL ACTIVITY, THIS TIME IS MADE UP OF YEARS, MONTHS, WEEKS, DAYS, HOURS OR MINUTES ALL OF WHICH HAVE AN END.
JAMES 4:14
I AM FULLY PURSUADED THAT WE HAVE FORMED OUR LIFE AROUND THE EXPECTATIONS OF LIVING FOREVER AND WE MAKE PLANS IN THAT FASHION. JAMES ASSERTS IN THE FOURTEENTH VERSE THAT THERE IS NO WAY THAT YOU CAN BE CERTAIN WHAT TOMORROW WILL BRING; HE GOES ON WITH A QUESTION; ASKING, WHAT IS YOUR LIFE AND HENCEFORTH COMPARES IT TO A VAPOUR.
MANY OF US HAVE SAW VAPOUR IT APPEARS ONLY FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND THEN IT DISAPPEARS. GIVING OFF EVIDENCE OF ITS PRESENCE FOR A VERY BRIEF MOMENT AND THEN GOING AWAY.
I BELIEVE THAT WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT THE LIFE THAT WE LIVE DOES NOT COME WITH A NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM, A ROADMAP, OR A COMPASS, THEREFORE, IT WOULD BE FAIR TO SAY THAT WE ARE NOT WALKING IN SPIRITUAL MATURATY WHEN WE MAKE OUR PLANS ON A DAILY BASIS. AM I SAYING DON’T PLAN; CERTAINLY NOT.
WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT WE MAKE PLANS IN REFERENCE TO WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO FOR THE NEXT DAY,MONTH OR YEAR AND IN DOING SO WE NORMALLY LEAVE THE WILL OF GOD FOR OUR LIVES OUT OF THE PLANNING PROCESS; FURTERMORE, WE SET OUR MINDS ON EARTHLY THINGS THAT DEVALUE GOD AND HIS SUPREMECY.
I BELIEVE IF JAMES COULD PUT THIS IN PLAIN OLD COUNTRY ENGLISH HE WOULD SAY DO NOT PLAN WITHOUT THE CONSULTATION OF GOD. I BELIEVE THAT JAMES WOULD ALSO SAY THAT IN THE PLANNING PROCESS WE MUST CONSIDER THE WILL OF GOD FOR THAT PARTICULAR SEASON OF OUR LIFE.
I BELIEVE JAMES WOULD ALSO SAY, "WE GO THROUGHOUT LIFE MAKING VOWS TO OURSELVES OF WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO WITH OUR LIFE DAY AFTER DAY NEVER CONSIDERING WHAT IS IN STORE FOR US THAT NEXT DAY - THAT NEXT WEEK - THAT NEXT MONTH - THAT NEXT YEAR."
OUR HEADS ARE FULL OF VISIONS AS TO WHAT WE SHALL DO, WHAT WE SHALL BE, WHAT WE SHALL ENJOY. THE PURPOSE OF GOD IS NEVER IN THE EQUASION, IT DOES NOT SEEM TO MATTER THAT WE DO NOT HAVE A MONOPOPLY ON OUR LIFE OR A CERTAINTY OF THE TIME ALLOTTED TO US BUT WE YET PROMISE OURSELVES TOMORROW NOT EVEN CONSIDERING WHAT TOMORROW WILL BRING.
LIFE OF NO PROMISES.
SO TO SAY WE WILL GO TO SUCH A CITY IS A LITTLE PREMATURE WITHOUT THE COUNSEL OF GOD. MAYBE WE WILL GO TO SEATTLE, TACOMA, LOUISIANA, CHICAGO OR MEMPHIS OR MAYBE NOT. IT BEHOOVES ME HOW WE MAKE SUCH ARRANGEMENTS WITH CERTAINTY THAT WE ARE GOING WITHOUT ANY DELAYS. JAMES SAYS THAT WE MAKE SUCH PLANS BUT WE NEVER CONSIDER IF IT’S GOD’S WILL.
THERE COULD BE MANY THINGS TO STOP US ON OUR WAY TO OUR DESTINED PLACES.
WE MAY KNOW WHAT WE INTEND TO DO BUT A THOUSAND THINGS COULD HINDER OUR PROGRESS, WE ARE NOT COMPLETELY SURE OF LIFE ITSELF SINCE LIFE IS AS A VAPOR SOMETHING IN APPEARANCE BUT NOTHING SOLID NOR CERTAIN, MOREOVER, EASILY SCATTERED AND GONE.
GOD NEVER GIVES US A DEFINATE TIME OF DEPARTURE BUT HE DOES ALLOT US A TIME ONLY KNOWN TO HIM. ON APRIL 15, 2000 MY FATHER WAS MURDERED AT AGE 55,ON MAY 3, 2000 MY AUNTEE WAS MURDERED AT AGE 52, ON JULY 27, 2000 MY COUSIN DROWND AT AGE 17, ON JULY 26, 2001 MY BROTHER DIED AT AGE 30, ON DECEMBER 24, 2001 MY SECOND BROTHER DIED AT AGE 31, ON MARCH 20, 2005 MY MOTHER DIED AT AGE 59.
EVERYONE OF THEM I HAVE MENTIONED WERE FULL OF LIFE, FULL OF VISION BUT IN AN INSTANCE THEY WERE GONE WITHOUT WARNING.
LIFE HAS NO PROMISES
GOD NEVER GAVE MAN THE INCLINATION TO FORSEE HIS FUTURE NOR THE DURATION OF HIS LIFE; THEREFORE, WE CAN NOT SAY WHAT WE WILL DO ON THE MORROW IF IT IS NOT THE WILL OF GOD.
IF I HAD ONE SUGGESTION; IT WOULD BE TO LIVE LIFE WITH GOD AS THE SUPREME RULER OF YOUR LIFE AND LET EVERYTHING THAT WE DO BE DONE AS IF WE NEEDED THE FATHER’S PERMISSION.
LIFE HAS NO PROMISES.
