Beyond Our Control - 5-Day DevotionalSýnishorn

James 4 teaches us that we should not expect anything, instead recognizing that all is dependent on God: “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” (vv. 13–14). This reminder from James that we are God’s creation and that he is the eternal Creator helps us to reorder our expectations accordingly.

James continued: “Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil” (vv. 15–16). James rebuked the expectation itself as evil because by declaring that we know the future, we are saying we are equal to God. This isn’t meant to make us legalistic in the way that we talk about business plans but rather to prompt us continually to remind ourselves that it is God who ultimately determines whether our business, our relationships, and our plans succeed or fail. A right view of God’s sovereignty allows us to give him praise in both the prosperous providences and the painful providences alike.

If we were created to reflect the glory of God to the world, then anytime we miss recognizing God for his work, we are robbing him of the praise he created us to give him. We have not been appointed stewards over the abundance of provision that exists in this world so we can waste our lives finding pleasure in experiencing what God has created. Rather, all creation has been placed under our care so that we may find pleasure in experiencing God himself. Creation is meant to point us to the Creator and drive us to worship him.

Prayer

Lord, please help me see how you are working around me and in my life. I want to live life abundantly through you. Amen.