Making Plans For The Future

Scripture:
James 4:13-17 (NIV)

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. 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. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

Devotional:

Planning for the future, it is something we are taught we must do from an early age.  As we enter middle school and high school we start to plan for college and future careers.  As we are dating that someone special we plan for our marriages and future families.  Businesses plan for the future, how they will grow and make profits.  As we grow older we start preparing for retirement.

There is nothing wrong with planning for the future.  It is wise to do so.  The problem lies when we do not include God.  Years ago I had a friend who had her entire life ahead of her.  We had grown up together in church.  She had plans of her own for her future.  Before I got back home, after being in the Navy for four years, she suddenly died.  I never saw her again.  Someone else I know who had worked many years was not far from retirement.  One Sunday morning while getting ready for church she had a massive heart attack and died instantly.  At the same time there are those who live well into their eighties or even nineties.  The fact is we do not know when God will call us home.  We do not know if we will have a job tomorrow or not.  

While it is good to plan for the future we must be sure to include God.  We need to realize that God will allow unexpected things to happen in our lives.  We need to understand that God has in mind for us only the best.  He wants what is best for us.  We just need to trust Him that whatever happens it is for what is best.  We need to allow for unexpected things to take place.  When they do we need to put our trust in Him that it will all turn out for the best in the end…