Kevin Taylor's Bible Study
Title:
The Book Of James Part 8
by Kevin Taylor
The Book Of James Part 8
God bless all of you. This week we will be studying James chapter 4 verses
13-16. The theme that is running through these four verses will become clear
as we read through them, so without further adieu, lets read what the bible
says.
James 4 v 13-16. Now listen you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to
this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”
Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You
are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you
ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will do this or that.” As it
is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.
What jumps out at you
as you read these verses? What’s the Lord saying to you in these verses?
Over the years I have found that in bible studies where there are a group
of believers, though they would use different words and styles of speech
to describe what they are seeing in a portion of scripture, there would
always be a common thread running through study. In the above piece of scripture,
the theme to me is ‘The importance of having the Lord’s will first.’ With
all bible study we have to ‘qualify’ what is being said. In other words,
who was speaking and to whom and with what back drop. In this case it is
easy because the opening words are, “Now Listen You Who Say” so we have
qualified that it applies to those “Who say.”
Sometimes in the bible you might read something that is condemning a particular
sin or unrighteous act and you are convicted that it is speaking to you
so you deal with it. Praise God. Another time you read your bible and it
is commending a particular righteous act and you think, “Hey! That’s me.”
Well done, carry on the good work; the bible is your ‘Road map’ and so the
above scripture is to anyone who is making plans which are ‘Good’ plans
instead of ‘God’ plans. It is clear in the above scripture that ‘God’ has
no part in that persons plans, they have already decided to what city they
will go, then they will start up a successful business, make lots of money
then after one year move on. If a brother came up to you with a plan like
that you would be right to think it is “pie in the sky” and try to reason
with that brother. Whenever I am faced with decisions I make sure the Lord
is in on it, and I ask the Lord to “open or shut doors accordingly” thus
I am praying “If it is the Lord’s will.” May I encourage you to do the same,
it works wonders for me and it will for you also because it is biblical
and we are confessing before God that we can get it wrong but He can’t,
so we are asking him to guide us. Also, if things don’t go according to
plan you know that you are acting in the Lords plan, because you have put
it in his hands, and you can battle through the ‘ups’ and ‘downs.’ There
is another blessing if you can say, “If it is the Lord’s will” and that
is it shows you are totally submitted to God in that area. So there we have
it. Involve the Lord in all our plans; make him the rock of our plans and
His plans will be our plans. I will finish with one of my favorite verses
which complement this week’s topic.
Psalm 127 verse 1 “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour
in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand watch
in vain.”
Lots of love, have a super week, Kev!
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