A few years ago, I went to California, directed by God, for the summer, between Bible College years, and experienced a remarkable time in my life, I have never ceased to remember. One of the “events” of that summer was attending a Saturday night Bible Study service, at Calvary Chapel, with Chuck Smith leading…with thousands of surfers coming in, with sandals and surfboards, in hand! Aside from being raised in the mountains of Pennsylvania, I was overwealmed at the continual operation of God’s Spirit, living in the intention and life of God’s Will.
After sharing this specific experiencce with a friend, I went online, and quickly discovered the current web site for Calvary Chapel, with Reverand Chuck Smith, still the head pastor, and finding a great “Media Center”, where access to live broadcasts of services are there for you. I choose to watch the January 02, 2012 evening service, with John Randall, and have been inspired to “dig” further into revealing insight into the Scripture passage he spoke on: James 4:13-17.
From James 4:13-
“Now listen, you who say…you do not know what will happen tomorrow”.
The value of one’s own perceptions mean little to God’s Kingdom Reality for you and for your life.
From James 4:14-
“What is your life? Your’e a mist… then vanishes.”
New Living Testament-
Your life is like the morning fog- its here for a little while, then its gone.
King James Version-
It is even a vapor, that appears for a little while, and then vanisheth away.
Vapor- Greek- atims- breath, stream, vapor.
Barnes Notes:
“For it is”- life: something frail, with no calculation that can be credibbly made on its permanance. A vapor is something that lies on a mountain side, on the morning, but is disipated by the rising sun, leaving not a trace behind.
The comparison of life as a vapor is common, beautiful, and it is just.
Job states: “ O, remember that my life is Wind.”
From Matthew Henry:
Through bliss or woe, “forever”, must be according to our conduct during this fleeting moment. We are always to be dependent on the Will of God, Our times are not in our own hands, but at the disposal of God.
Psalm 39:5- You have made my life a mere handbreath; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath. Selah.
Proverbs 27:1 – Do not boast about tomorrow; you do not know what a day may bring forth.
Isaiah 2:22- Stop trusting in men, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?
Consider: Ecclesiastes 14:18 – As of the green leaves of a thick tree, some fall, and some grow; so is the gene and a of flesh and blood; one cometh to an end, and another is born.
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In this life we have the choice to be “born again”, to be in Christ, and therefore, to maintain to do the Will of God.
Gil’s Exposition of the Bible-
No man can secure a day, an hour, a moment, and much less a year, in the continuance of this life- nor can he see what may befall him today or tomorrow- therefore, it is of great stupidity to determine “this”, without the Hand and the Will of God- in whom we live, and breath, and have our being- and by whom ALL events are governed and directed.
[ And He is before All things, and By Him All things consist- Colossians 1: 17 ]
[ MSG- He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. ]
James 4:15- Instead you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s Will, we will live, and do this or that.”
Instead- God’s Perspective, not your own, is honored.
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Instead- Greek- anti (avri) – instead of, because of, wherefore
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in place of myself
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denotes- subsitution/ correspondence – place / reason
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because of- for in the “room of”
Barnes Notes-
You ought rather to recognize your aboslute dependance on God; all things are under His Control. There is nothing on which we can assume the base of the assurance of success, but of His favor.
Clark-
No man should ever say he will do this or do that without the condition of “If God Will”. Take Heed- Christian- that the heathen buffoon thinks they can laugh you out of your countenance, in making God’s Will – Priority.
God’s Exposition of the Bible-
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Your choice for your living life should be agreeable to the determining Will and Purposes of God.
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“If we should live”- Let a man never say he will do anything before he says: If God Will.”
Jamieson Fausset – Brown -
The boaster spoke as if life, action, and a particular action were in “their power”. The real TRUTH, all three of these elements are entirely dependant on the Will of God.
Matthew Henry -
How vain it is to look or expect, for anything good- without God’s Blessing and Guidance! The frailty, and the uncertainty, of life- ought to check the vainity and the presumptous confidence of all projects of futurity. We cannot fix the certain time of a vapor (our life) being scattered.
Oh, that we are careful not to omit prayer, and not to neglect to meditate and examine our conciousness, as we are not to committ outward vices against light!
Acts 11:21- But as he left, he promised, “I will come back, of it is God’s will.” Then, he set sail from Ephesus.
Any way we walk travel and any direction we take is Governed by God, regardless of any human opinion.
From The Message- James 4:13-17- And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today – at the latest, tomorrow – we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.”You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing.Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.”As it is, you are full of your grandiose selves. All such vaunting self-importance is evil.In fact, if you know the right thing to do and don’t do it, that, for you, is evil.
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So, when we elevate ourselves and raise our position, not only in our own minds, but for others to view- this “level”- This is an evil presentation, and this also is an evil enhancement for living life for yourself.
Robinson’s Word Pictures-
James 4:15 – The proper attitude of mind- is not to be uttered in words like a charm.
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In other words- in essence, Robinson is saying: Do not seduce others with what and whom you preceive yourself to be. Properly, we are to focus on God, not on the posion of one’s self.
John Darby Commentary-
James 4:13-17-
13-16- The same self-will and forgetfulness of God are blamed, the false confidence that flows from reckoning upon being able to do as one pleases, the absence of dependencies on God.
17- This is a conclusion- on that which has already been said, in regard to Faith. The knowledge of good, without its practice, causes even the absence of the work which one could have preformed. The action of the “new man” is absent. And that of the “old man, is present. Thus the good, before our eyes, which we know what to do, and choose not to do, becomes the motivation which controls.
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What can I intelligently say on this posting that has not already be defined by many whom I choose to bring into the text for reading and hopefully some serious thinking on these five verses from James 4? !
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“You should be thankful God wants to control your life”- John Randall
