If the Lord Wills
I left for the airport at 3 a.m. this morning for a trip to Atlanta. This will be quick weekend trip to visit Stephanie and Nathan. The primary motivation was to be here for Don Munn’s (Nathan’s father) final Sunday as the Senior Pastor of the church he started 30 years ago.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…. “…you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:14.15 ESV
This verse and Proverbs 27:1 (NV) “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” have taken a special significance to me in the last almost four years. For the most part, during my adult life and our marriage, Debbie and I have been able to avoid crisis that we have seen other families walk through. We had been grateful for that and while realizing we weren’t immune or insulated, we certainly considered ourselves blessed.
It was easy to plan and anticipate the future and to look at “contingency” plans and such as nice, but not critical for what we could imagine taking place in our lives.
On the other had there can be those who live with so much uncertainty in life and a fear or paranoia about the future, that they hesitate to “step out” or to make plans of any significance. Extremes in life can be equally dangerous.
My friend Paul Irwin reminds me that “life is a gift, life is precious, life is fragile.” I found out how much that is true when I faced a sudden and unexpected health crisis that involved almost five months of hospitalization, four hospital visits in the following year, and a significant prolonged recovery from West Nile Virus and Myasthenia Gravis. It is easy to take for granted our health and vitality and ability to do what we enjoy.
James addresses a sense of cockiness or arrogance that has a self-centered view. This is in line with his focus in his letter up to this point. There is a sense of God’s providence in our lives and over our lives that is to permeate and impact how we live.
We are to view each day as gift. We are to be stewards of the time we have, not knowing the number of days we will have on this earth. We need to be prepared for the unexpected without living in fear.
We can be those who have confidence that the Lord can not only keep us form, but He can also see us through the crisis and grief and challenges that are a part of life. “The Lord willing,” whether spoken or reflected in our attitude, shows that life has its uncertainties, but there is One who is above them all and is with us each step we take.
The music group Mercy Me, has a new song, “Even If” whose chorus captures the importance of maintaining our hope in times of uncertainty:
I know You’re able and I know You can
Save through the fire with Your mighty hand
But even if You don’t
My hope is You alone
Prayer for today…. Lord thank You that You are the God who is with us and, enables us to live life with confidence, hope and anticipation. Help us to dream big, pursue the dreams You give, while we remember that all we are and all the days we have are a gift from You.