Not Listening to What God Wants (James 4:13–14, 16) - Part 1 of 2

Chapter 10
Make a Plan Ahead of Time (James 4:13-17)

James started chapter 4 by talking about war with God and ended it by talking about God's will. However, the two concepts intertwine: when a believer disregards God's will, they turn into troublemakers rather than peacemakers.

Lot moved to Sodom, which caused problems for his family. David cheated on his wife and caused problems for his family and his kingdom. God told Jonah not to do something, and he almost sent a ship full of non-believers to their deaths in the ocean. In each case, the person had the wrong attitude about what God wanted.

It's clear that God has a plan for each of our lives. He is a wise God who knows what should happen and when it should happen. And since He is a God of love, He must want the best for His children. Many Christians see God's will as a bitter pill they have to swallow, when in fact it is a manifestation of God's love.

I was having a challenging time in my ministry a few years ago and was wondering what God wanted me to do. One day I was reading the book of Psalms and asking God to give me some comfort and hope. Psalm 33:11 was the answer to that prayer: "The counsel of the Lord standeth forever; the thoughts of His heart to all generations." I told myself, 'The will of God comes from the heart of God.' His will is a sign of His love . . so I don't have to be scared! For any Christian, finding the blessing of loving and living God's will can be a big change.

James talked about three ways people feel about God's will in this part of his letter. Of course, only one is the right one, and that's the one that every Christian should work on.

First, Not Listening to What God Wants (4:13–14, 16)

James may have been talking to the rich merchants in the group. They might have talked about their business deals and bragged about their plans. It doesn't look like they asked God for help or prayed about their choices. They thought they were successful if they got what they wanted.

But James gave four reasons why it is foolish to ignore God's will.

#1 Life is complicated (v. 13). Think about everything that happens in life: today, tomorrow, buying, selling, gaining, losing, going here, and going there. People, places, activities, goals, days, and years make up life. Every day, we all have to make many important choices.

Life is a mystery, except for what God wants. Life starts to make sense when you know Jesus Christ as your Savior and try to do what He wants. The things around you in the physical world also take on new meaning. Your life is simple and unified, which gives you poise and confidence. The universe is no longer a scary, mysterious place for you, and you can see God at work.

#2 Life is unpredictable (v. 14a). This truth comes from Proverbs 27:1: "Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." Apparently, these businessmen were making plans for a whole year, even though they couldn't see what would happen in the next day! Look at how sure they were. You can almost hear them saying,  'We will go . . . we will be here for a year . . . we will buy and sell and make money.'

Their attitude is like that of the farmer in Luke 12:16–21, which is a story Jesus told. The man had many crops, but his barns were too small. He decided to build bigger barns to protect his crops in the future. "And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." (Luke 12:19).

What did God say to this man who was bragging? "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee" (Luke 12:20). God knows everything about life, but we don't. We can only be sure of tomorrow when we are in His will, as He leads us.

#3 Life is short (v. 14b). This is a theme that comes up a lot in the Bible. We perceive life as long because we measure it in years, but in the larger context, it is merely a fleeting moment. James took that thought  from the book of Job, which has many pictures of how short life is.

"My days are faster than a weaver's shuttle" (Job 7:6). "The cloud is consumed and vanisheth away" (Job 7:9). "Our days on earth are a shadow" (Job 8:9). "Now my days are swifter than a post" (Job 9:25) speaking of the royal couriers were very quick to finish their jobs. "They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey." (Job 9:26). "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not." (Job 14:1-2). That is, he runs away like a shadow and doesn't stay (Job 14:1–2).

We count our years on our birthdays, but God tells us to count our days (Ps. 90:12). We only live one day at a time, and as we get older, those days go by faster.

We can't just "spend our lives" because life is precious, and we definitely don't want to "waste our lives." We need to put our lives into things that will last forever.

God tells us what He wants in His Word, but most people don't follow the Bible. God gives us rules, principles, and promises in the Bible that can help us in every part of life. The best way to succeed is to know and follow the Word of God (Josh. 1:8; Ps. 1:3).

#4 Man is weak (v. 16). "But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil." (Js 4:16). James is saying that you talk big and brag. All of this bragging is evil. Man's bragging only hides his weaknesses. Thomas à Kempis said, "Man proposes but God disposes." It was Solomon who first said, "The lot is cast into the lap: but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord" (Prov. 16:33). People can't control what happens in the future. Man doesn't have the wisdom to see the future or the power to change it. It is a sin for him to brag and boast; he is making himself God.

People who don't follow God's will are very foolish. It's like walking through the dark jungles without a map or sailing through the stormy seas without a compass.