Tomorrow Isn't Yours | Daily Devotional 1625

You're listening to the My Morning Devotional Podcast, episode 1625. Today's Devo is called Tomorrow Isn't Yours. Hey there, we're the Alessis, a ministry family working together in our church in Miami, Florida. And if you're like us, when days get busy, the to-do lists get longer, it can be hard to find devotional time. That's why every weekday we share a five-minute daily dose of heaven. This is the My Morning Devotional Podcast. Well, welcome back to the final episode of this week in James chapter 4. And I've got a lot to talk about, and I realize I have gone long for every single episode. Forgive me. This verse or this chapter just really has been speaking to me, and I'm truly, truly grateful that I got to cover this one. So we're gonna jump right to the end because I don't want to waste anyone's time. Okay, James chapter 4, verses 13 through 17 says this. Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, if the Lord wills, we will do this or do that. As it is, you boast in your arrogance, and all such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it for him, it is a sin. James reminds us that tomorrow isn't guaranteed. We make plans, we build our career, we pursue goals, we make goals. We're trying to save money and have an emergency fund. We're making a schedule, and I think there's nothing wrong with planning. In fact, I think God honors, I know that God honors stewardship. So it's not that there's something wrong with planning our life out, but James is challenging the attitude behind our plans. And instead of us saying, This is what I'm gonna do, and I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that, it's us turning it into, well, if the Lord wills it, I'm gonna do A, B, and C. See, this was a challenge for me because my my husband and I will just have normal conversations. And he loves the Bible. He's been on this show before, and people love him because his understanding of the Bible is really, really unique, and the Lord just speaks to him in such a beautiful way. And so we love talking about the Bible. And I was talking about something about like, oh my gosh, tomorrow, and then the next year we could do this, and I was getting all excited. And he kind of made a joke, but then he was like, ah, you know, if the Lord wills. And I thought that was so dark. I was like, how dare you say that? And he goes, I'm not trying to be dark, I'm not trying to say anything or wish anything upon us. I'm saying that's what James chapter four says to do. If the Lord wills it, then we'll go here, we'll go there. And I don't know why I got so angry because I am not that type of person that's like, well, if if this happens, like, so be it. I've never been that person. I am a planner, I like to strategize, I like to say next week we're gonna do this at the house, and next week we're gonna go here. I am the calendar keeper at the house. And again, I don't think it's wrong to be stewards of our life. But I think we have to go back to hold on. God, you're the Lord of my life. And God, if you would allow me, if you will it, then I'm gonna do this. God, if if it's your will for me to pursue that dream, I'll pursue that dream. If it's your will for me to have more children, I'm gonna have more children. If it's your will for me to get married or to get that job, then Lord, I will pursue it. And this isn't a passive thing. This isn't a sit down and just lay back. No, it's a surrendered heart. We're supposed to be surrendered before Him. So then James ends with the powerful challenge. He says this whoever knows the right thing to do but fails to do it, for him, it is sin. And in other words, once God shows you and I what we need to change, the message here is don't ignore it. If you know you need to forgive, forgive. If you know you need to apologize, apologize. If you know you need to let someone or something go, then let them go. If you feel like God is calling you forward to step forward, then take the step. But if God is calling you to step back, take the step, step back. Let's not just know God's word. Let's not just hear God's word. Let's respond to God's word. I'll leave you with this to consider this weekend. As you're Saturday and you're Sunday, we don't have this devo. Ultimately, there's one theme of James chapter four, and that is the word surrender. We're to surrender our desires, we're to surrender our loyalty and the side that we think is right. We're to surrender our struggles and our pride, surrender our plans, and then ultimately draw near to God. Because when we stop fighting to control everything and we start trusting our God with our everything, we'll experience peace in our hearts, our relationships will become healthy, and our lives will be aligned with his will, which is ultimately living in the perfect will of God. So let's pray. Lord, we just ask that you would search our hearts. God, show us if there's anything that has taken your place in our lives. Help us surrender our desires, Jesus. Resert, resist, resist what pulls us away from you. And ultimately, God, draw us closer to you. Give us humility to trust your plans instead of our own. And Lord, when you show us the right thing to do, give us the courage to obey. Let my life be completely surrendered to you. Let our lives be completely surrendered to you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. So there you have it, your five minute daily dose of heaven. Thank you so much for tuning in today. We pray these devotionals empower you to take on your day. If you've found value in this devotional, share it with a friend, leave a comment or review for us on the app you're using right now. Until tomorrow, we pray that your latte is strong, but your love for Jesus is stronger.