LIFE IS IN THE LORD'S HANDS

Passage: James 4:11-17

Key verse: 15

NIV

11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.(A) Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister[a] or judges them(B) speaks against the law(C) and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it,(D) but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge,(E) the one who is able to save and destroy.(F) But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?(G)

Boasting About Tomorrow

13 Now listen,(H) you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”(I) 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.(J) 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will,(K) we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.(L) 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.(M)

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Footnotes
  1. James 4:11 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

11 (A)Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.[a] The one who speaks against a brother or (B)judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only (C)one lawgiver and (D)judge, he who is able to save and (E)to destroy. But (F)who are you to judge your neighbor?

Boasting About Tomorrow

13 Come now, you who say, (G)“Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For (H)you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, (I)“If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. (J)All such boasting is evil. 17 (K)So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

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Footnotes
  1. James 4:11 Or brothers and sisters
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. One Lawgiver and Judge (11-12) Slandering, criticizing or judging our brothers and sisters is a sin. Anyone who misuses the law to judge others is not keeping it but claiming a position that only belongs to God. Only God is both Lawgiver and Judge. He alone can save or destroy. By judging our neighbor, we break the royal law of love (2:8). 2. What is your life? (13-17) Sometimes we make plans for our life as if we will live forever. We hope to visit various places, to carry on business and to make money. Without God, this is arrogance. We do not even know what will happen tomorrow. Our life is like a mist that appears and then vanishes. It is short and fragile. Our life is in God's hands. Our prayers and plans must deliberately include God and his will for us. Then we can do the good things that God desires from us.

Prayer: Lord, my life belongs to you. Let your will be done in and through me.

One Word: Life belongs to God; do his will