Passage Read: James 4-5
Meditation Verses: 4:13-16
Thought
It seems like James is making a big deal out of a little thing. Don't we make plans and trust the Lord to lead in whatever way He desires? "Man makes his plans, but the Lord determines his steps," and things like that? But James says that "anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins," and this on the tail of this instruction. We do make plans without thought of the Lord and His will, especially big plans like this. He's not talking so much about everyday decisions, but about plans for the future, and in this case, plans for profit. That itself shows in particular a priority of material gain rather than kingdom purposes. My chief concern, no matter what I do to provide for myself and my family, should be the advancement of God's kingdom, seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness--not material profit and advancement.
Application
It's not just a problem that I make plans as if I control the outcome, but that I make plans for worldly success rather than heavenly. He just said that friendship with the world makes me an enemy of God! John says that if I love the things of this world, I do not have the love of God. I need a shift in how I view my life, that it is not my own, that God is in complete control, so that "if the Lord wills" isn't just a catchphrase, but a revealing of how I actually view myself and my life. But more than just acknowledging that God has full authority over anything and everything in my life and that I'm fully submitted to whatever He decides, I need to factor in His kingdom and His righteousness in every decision I make. And not just add it as a factor, but make it the primary consideration in any big decision. My life is a vapor and I don't know how much time I'll have to invest in kingdom priorities, so I should make the most of the days I do have, not to grab all the pleasures of this world, but to store up all the treasure in heaven I can!