“Come now, you that say, ‘today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell and get gain:’ whereas you know not shall be on the morrow.” (James 4: 13-14)
While most of us would not kill, steal, take God’s name in vain or break one of the other of the Ten Commandments, many of us are guilty of the sin of presumption.
James points out four sins of presumption in this brief passage. There is the sin of presuming on time. “Today or tomorrow we will…” One could die of a heart attack, car accident or any number of other ways. There is the sin of presuming on mobility. “We will go…” Today you can get out of bed, dress yourself and feed yourself. But can you do those things tomorrow? It is good to plan as long as God is included. There is the sin of presuming on durability. “And continue there a year…” Again, a stroke or major illness can permanently change all our good intentions. Finally, in this verse there is the sin of presuming on success. “We will buy and sell, and get gain…” The markets can change overnight as was witnessed by millions of people in the Great Depression.
James concludes by saying, “For that you ought to say, ‘If the Lord will, we shall live and do this, or that.’” (James 4:15) We should include God in all our plans and seek His counsel in all things.
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