Doing Life With God

Today’s reading is out of James 4. Begin today’s devotion by reading this passage in your Bible.

One of the greatest gifts of God is the gift of life-long companionship with Him. Gone are the days of walking alone and trying to figure out life without His support and wisdom. This journey in life becomes so much more meaningful when we view our family, our occupation, and our future as part of God’s unfolding plan. Each moment is sacred because God is working in our lives. He’s also working through our lives to bring hope and healing to the world around us. When we live with this heavenly perspective, our “normal” everyday life looks different.

This is why James encourages us to live in total reliance on God and to live with a posture of openness to His direction for our lives. God desires that we trust Him with all of our hearts, lean not on our understanding, acknowledge His Lordship in our lives, and He will direct our steps (Proverbs 3:5-6). God wants us to reject “self-rule” and instead accept His guidance into the future.

Let’s read from the selected passages again in God’s Word and reflect deeper on what they teach us about God and our own lives.

James 4:13-16 13 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.

Reflect

1. What speaks to you most from this passage? What did you learn about God from this passage?
2. James described the brevity of our lives in vs.14 as a “mist” that appears for a little while and vanishes. How does this idea change the way that you think about your own life? What will you do differently based on this perspective?
3. When was the last time that you asked God to show you His will for your life? What area of your life are you the quickest to submit to God’s control? Which area of your life is the hardest to submit to His control?
4. Is there an area of your life that you are holding back from God? What fears/concerns are stopping you from trusting God with your entire life and future?

Act

Identify your usual process for making big decisions. Write down a new process, based on the information above, on how you will tackle transitions and decision making in the future.

Pray

Lord Jesus, help me to develop a greater desire to know you more and to learn what it means to follow You with my life. Help me to develop a greater sense of trust and awareness of your touch in my everyday life. Thank you for your patience as I learn what it means to do life together in Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.