Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
8/18/2021
No One is Promised Tomorrow
No one is promised tomorrow
We are living in desperate times. But it really isn’t anything new to the human race during modern history. The Germans killed 6 million Jews during World War II: Turks killed Armenians 1914-1915 (1.5 million): Stalin killing 60 million people in Russia during his communist regime in the 1930s and 1940s; the Khmer Rouge killing Cambodians, 1975 – 1979 – 2 million; Saddam Hussein killing the Iraqi Kurds, 1987-1988 -100,000; Serbs killing Bosnian Muslims, 1992-1995- (200,000); Americans killing unborn children, 1973-present-40, million. There were others.
When you add to this the natural disasters like the tropical storm in November 1917 that killed 400,000 people in Bangladesh or the earthquake in India in January 2001 that killed 15,000 or the AIDS epidemic in Africa that has taken the lives of 2.5 million people. We are looking in current times at COVID-19 at well over 3 million.
James 4:13-16 Boasting About Tomorrow “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.” 14 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. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil”.
It is amazing how we plan our lives out so methodically. But others say, what practical difference would it make in my business planning whether I believe my life is a vapor? Do I stop planning because my life may be short or uncertain?
I think James would say, no you don’t stop planning. You don’t drop out of society or live like a hermit waiting for your little vapor of life to disappear.
So what is the point here? The point is that for James and for God, it matters whether a true view of life informs and shapes the way you think, and how you speak about your plans! Our mindset matters. How we talk about our plans matters. Why does that matter? Because God created us not to just to do things and go places with our bodies, but they are to have certain attitudes and convictions and verbal descriptions that reflect a true view of life and God.
Wherever we are planning to go, we were created to go there with thoughts and attitudes in the words that reflect a right view of God.
James says in verse 14 “In all your planning, keep in your mind, and express with your lips, this truth: you are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away”
You are as fragile as a mist. Keep in mind that you have no durability on this earth, you appear-for a little while – our time is short!
Scripture puts a premium on how we think and how we talk. Our thoughts and our gift of language is meant to make the glory of God known. If he wills we live. if he wills we act. We have minds and tongues to speak this truly for all the world to hear. And Christ needs to be at the center of that communication We are not promised tomorrow. That should be very humbling to us. That should drive us to our knees in prayer for so many that are less fortunate and do not know the name of Jesus. Pray while there is still time.
0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy9nwe9_xzw2 / 9:00
Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) Lyric Video – Hillsong UNITED
Excerpts and inspiration taken from Life as a Vapor – John Piper
