May 17, 2021 -- James 4:13-17 -- Mist that Boasts

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet 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. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

James 4:13-17 English Standard Version

In the 1987 the stock market crashed and it was estimated about 500 billion in assets were wiped out. In the crash of 2000 it was estimated 8 trillion was wiped out. Sure, the markets slowly gained these losses back, but for some retirement income was lost with no time to regain it back. Many were ruined.

How long does mist last? It is about as stable as our investments! In the blink of an eye it can all disappear. What is the hope of the Christian, what is our glory and purpose? According to James our lives, though mist and quickly vanishing, are for the glory of God. He wills our living. Our successes and failures take place while we are in the grip of His grace. Given the brevity of our lives we are to do what the LORD commands, for the greatest treasure we have is this—belonging to Jesus Christ.

Blessed God, even as my life is being poured out, may its every part be filled with praise to You. King Jesus direct my faith and service to You so that, filled with Your Spirit, I will accomplish the purposes for which I have been created. Amen.

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