Tomorrow’s Uncertainty (James 4:13–17)

In 1800, Dr Dionysis Larder, Professor of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy at University College in London, commented on predictions of high speed rail travel in the near future: “Rail travel at high speed is not possible, because passengers, unable to breathe, would die of asphyxia.” In 1859, associates of Edwin L. Drake responded to his suggestion to attempt drilling for oil: “Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You’re crazy!” An 1876 Western Union internal memo mused, “This telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication.” Four years later, Henry Morton, president of the Stevens Institute of Technology, commented about Edison’s lightbulb: “Everyone acquainted with the subject will recognise it as a conspicuous failure.”

Eighteen months prior to the Wright brothers’ flight at Kittyhawk, Canadian-American astronomer and mathematician, Simon Newcomb, predicted that “flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical and insignificant, if not utterly impossible.” The president of the Michigan Savings Bank in 1903 advised Henry Ford’s lawyer not to invest in the Ford Motor Company: “The horse is here to stay, but the automobile is only a novelty, a fad.” Charlie Chaplin played down the thought of cinema when he described it as “little more than a fad. It’s canned drama. What audiences really want is to see flesh and blood on stage.” Thirty years later, movie producer Darryl Zanuck dismissed television by saying, “Television won’t last because people will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.”

More recently, Ken Olson, president of Digital Equipment Corporation, suggested that “there is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home,” while Clifford Stoll mused in a Newsweek article, “The truth is no online database will replace your daily newspaper.”

Clearly, humans are notoriously bad at predicting the future. We know the frustration of trying to plan events around weather forecasts and pandemic waves. Yet we continue to plan for the future and grow frustrated when our plans are interrupted.

Halfway through 2021, we planned to host several pastoral interns from India in the first half of 2022. Omicron interrupted those plans and we entered the new year with no idea of when we would be able to host those interns. Many in recent times have had business and leisure travel plans interrupted. If we have learned anything in 2020/21, it is that we need to be flexible with our plans.

Some entered the 2021 Christmas season with their plans dashed. Some faced Christmas with grief instead of joy, having lost loved ones earlier in the year. Others celebrated Christmas in hospital rooms or in isolation rather than at home with family and friends. Many have entered the new year with plans having radically altered from predictions twelve months ago.

None of this should surprise us. If the Bible teaches us anything about the future, it is that it is uncertain. The uncertainty of tomorrow highlights the sin of presumptuousness. The Bible solidly erodes any confidence that tomorrow belongs to us. One text that warns against presumption about the future is James 4:13–17.

In chapter 4 of his letter, James warns against worldliness and highlights one manifestation of that tendency as presumption. Derek Tidball outlines the argument in these verses by suggesting that James opposes the attitude of presumption (v. 13), exposes the folly of presumption (v. 14), and proposes wisdom to counter presumption (vv. 15–17). This outline offers a helpful structure to examine the text. It is a necessary exhortation at the outset of a new year when we tend to make all sorts of prognostications for the year ahead.

The Attitude Opposed

James begins by opposing the attitude of presumption: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’” (v. 13). The presumption that James opposed was manifested in two ways.

Arrogance

First, their presumption was displayed in their arrogance: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there.’” He defines this attitude in v. 16 as “arrogance.” James’s readers had not the faintest flicker of doubt about their ability to chart their own course in life. They had firmly set ideas about where they were going (“such and such a town”), when they were going there (“today or tomorrow”), how long they were going to be there (“a year”), and even what they were going to do there (“trade and make a profit”). They had ticked all the boxes. All their plans were falling into place.

We should note that the problem here was not that they made plans. In fact, in v. 15, James approves planning: “We will do this or that.” The problem was that they planned without regard to divine providence. They did not take God’s will into mind because they believed that they were in control.

The Bible commends good planning. It is “the sluggard” (who, in Proverbs, is a morally corrupt person) who “does not plough in the autumn” and who “will seek at harvest and have nothing” (Proverbs 20:4). It is good and wise to plan. It is wise and necessary, for example, to consider forecast income and expenses and to set a budget accordingly. It is wise to save for future eventualities (as Joseph did during Egypt’s seven years of plenty). It is good to invest and save. Diligent use of a calendar or day planner is a helpful discipline. But these things are only good and wise when divine providence is considered. They are only good and wise when we acknowledge divine sovereignty. Proverbs therefore urges, in very Jamesish language, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” (27:1).

Solomon adds that, while we do well to plan, we do equally well to remember that “the purpose of the LORD will stand” (19:21), “the answer of the tongue is from the LORD” (16:1), and “the LORD establishes [man’s] steps” (16:9). Planning is not wrong. Arrogant planning that does not consider the Lord’s involvement in the plans is wrong.

Priorities

Second, however, James’s readers may have displayed presumption in their priorities: “We will … trade and make a profit.” With no thought given to the Lord’s involvement in their plans, they intended to maximise profit for their own benefit.

I say that his readers may have displayed presumption in their priorities because the text does not explicitly condemn their desire to make a profit. (And certainly making a profit is not inherently wrong.) In James, however, and particularly in the section immediately following this one (5:1–6), wealth is viewed dimly. The rich gain their wealth by mistreating the poor rather than by legitimate activity. And they are willing to mistreat the poor because they have no higher goal than to make money.

If, therefore, there is a logical flow between 4:13–17 and 5:1–6, James may be highlighting misplaced priorities here, which is certainly something of which we must be careful.

As we read these words, we cannot help but hear Jesus’ parable about the rich fool:

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

(Luke 12:13–21)

In Jesus’ parable, the connection between arrogant presumption and misplaced priority is clearly displayed. It may be the same attitude that James confronts in the text before us. Ignoring God’s will to instead maximise personal prophet is “evil” (v. 16).

The Folly Exposed

Having expressed his opposition to the attitude of presumption, James proceeds to expose the folly of presumption: “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” (v. 14). The folly of presumption is exposed here in at least two ways.

Ignorance

The first reason that their presumption was folly was the reality of basic human ignorance of the future: “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.” They were making their plans as if they controlled the future when they needed to remember that they had no clue about the future.

Tidball notes that “our ability to see the future is as short as the present moment.” Our budgets and year planners and career goals are frequently frustrated by the reality that we can’t see the future. We can and should make every reasonable effort to plan for what we anticipate, but we need to realise that it is sheer arrogance to imagine that we can depend without hesitation on our own plans. If the experts quoted in the introduction to this study got it so wrong, how can we imagine that we will fare any better?

Of course, recognising our ignorance should not paralyse us into irresponsible inactivity, but it should produce in us deep humility as we make plans. In our planning, we must actively recognise that plans fail or succeed on the basis of divine providence. An airtight budget is no guarantee against unforeseen financial disaster. A consistent health and fitness regime offers no immunity against dread disease. Careful and hard study is no assurance of future job security. It is good and important and God-honouring to budget, to eat and exercise well, and to study hard, but we cannot assume that those disciplines will ensure a problem-free life. We just don’t know.

Frailty

The second reason that their presumption was folly was the reality of human frailty: “For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” Life is short. We have no idea when it will end.

James stands in a long line of biblical writers who affirm the frailty of human life. Job described life as “a breath” (7:7) and “as the cloud” that “fades and vanishes” (7:9). The Psalms talk of life as “a few handbreadths” (39:5), withering grass (102:11), and a dying flower (103:15).

Life and health are frail realities. The complexity of the human body creates all sorts of opportunities for things to go wrong. Admission for a routine gall bladder removal might uncover serious heart disease, as it did for my mother several years ago. An overnight stay in hospital might result in prolonged admission to the ICU, as it has for our pastor, at the time of writing. Admission to hospital in relatively good health for routine treatment is no guarantee that you will be discharged. So many things can go wrong. If you have ever read the potential side effects of medication, you know the reality of this!

Human beings are frail and human life is short. It is folly to imagine that we control our lives and our future in the light of these realities.

The Wisdom Proposed

How, then, do we respond? James does not simply drop a reality check and then leave us to our own devices. Having confronted the arrogance and folly of our presumption, he proposes some practical wisdom to help us in our planning. His counsel takes the form of three proposals.

A Reverent Attitude

First, James proposes a reverent attitude in planning: “Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that’” (v. 15).

As stated above, James does not forbid planning. Verse 15 envisions the reader making plans: “We will live and do this or that.” The difference lies in the attitude with which we plan: “Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills.’” Rather than arrogantly planning with no thought given to the divine will, we should actively take thought to acknowledge God in our planning.

There is some debate surrounding James’s exhortation here. Is he suggesting that we should add the phrase “Lord willing” to every statement we make? Is he more concerned about the attitude than the actual words? While I think the attitude is more important than the words, the two may not be as easy to separate as we might initially think.

Certainly, we want to avoid using the phrase “Lord willing” emptily so that it amounts to nothing more than superstition. It is quite possible to attach words to a proposition without giving any real thought to those words. That is, it is quite easy to attach “Lord willing” to our plans when we know full well that it is our will, not God’s, that really matters. It is quite possible to speak those words without any real intention to submit our will to God’s. In that case, the words become empty. They become a form of taking God’s name in vain.

At the same time, there is something deeply meaningful about verbalising truth. We often take for granted that which we do not deliberately verbalise. Take, for example, the act of saying grace before a meal. Saying grace does not make the food holy, nor does failure to say grace necessarily communicate ingratitude for God’s provision. There have been times when, in the company of unbelievers, I have started eating without insisting that we pause to give thanks. And I have done so without minimising my gratitude for God’s provision. But making a practice of verbalising your thanksgiving before a meal helps guard your gratitude. It helps you to be conscious of being thankful for the food, even though it does nothing to change the substance of the meal before you.

Similarly, failing to utter the words “God willing” does not automatically mean that you have not considered God’s will in your plans, but verbalising those words may mean that you are more likely to consciously do so. Language both reflects and shapes our worldview and there may be great value in uttering those words. It may also serve as a teaching opportunity, as it did recently when my wife bid goodnight to our youngest daughter by saying, “See you in the morning, Lord willing.”

But, whether we verbalise the words or not, it will be helpful to consider what the thought actually communicates. James’s second and third exhortations (vv. 16–17) offer insight into what the phrase “if the Lord wills” actually means.

Reverent Humility

Second, James exhorts us to reverent humility. In doing so, he shows that the words “if the Lord wills” are a testimony to divine providence. That is, these words are a conscious recognition that everything we plan and everything we do is subject to the divine will: “As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil” (v. 16). By failing to consider God’s will in their plans, James’s readers were boasting in their arrogance. And such boasting was not only unwise but was blatantly “evil,” for it undermined God’s claims to sovereignty.

We need this reminder daily. As we enter a new year, we need to keep this thought consciously before us. Plan your budget but recognise that your provision depends on the Lord. Hit your fitness goals but realise that your continued good health depends on the Lord. Plan your year-end holiday but recognise that your very ability to reach the end of the year alive is subject to divine providence.

Reverent Obedience

Third, James exhorts us to reverent obedience. In doing so, he shows that these words are a commitment to conform to God’s will: “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (v. 17).

God’s will in Scripture is often tied to our submission. For example, “I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). Notice that God’s will parallels his law and is something that must be done. In other words, to acknowledge God’s will is, in part, to commit to doing what God requires.

As you cultivate the wisdom proposed in this exhortation, it requires you to cultivate an attitude of willingness to submit to God’s revealed will in every area of life. Let me illustrate: If you, as a Christian, are planning to marry an unbeliever, it is useless to say, “I am getting married to so-and-so next Saturday, God willing.” It is clearly not God’s will for a Christian to marry an unbeliever and tacking the phrase “God willing” to your plans does nothing to change that. It simply proves your willingness to take God’s name in vain.

The Exhortation Embraced

Having considered the teaching of the text, what does it mean for us? As we enter a new year and make plans for what it looks like, what should we take from this text? How do we embrace the wisdom that James proposes for us as we avoid the sin of presumption? Let me briefly suggest four things as I bring this study to a close. And let me show you, by these four things, how intensely Christlike it is to embrace this exhortation.

First, remain aware of God’s providence in your planning by bathing your planning in prayer. Prayer is, at its root, an admission of dependence. Prayer therefore will both help us to determine God’s will and to stay within God’s will as we plan.

Jesus modelled this for us. We read an example of how he did so in Mark 1:35–39. There, we read that Jesus rose early in the morning to spend time in prayer. Later, his disciples informed him that people were looking for him. He had spent the previous day healing people (Mark 1:29–34) and now people were looking for more. He may have been tempted to stay and continue ministering where he was popular, but his prayers had helped him direct his attention elsewhere. Rather than pandering to the crowds, he replied, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” His prayers helped him determine God’s will and direction for his ministry.

Second, submit your plans to the instructions found in God’s word. Spend time reading Scripture. Pay attention as the word is preached. Pray for God to teach you through his word and do so with the wholehearted commitment to obeying what he teaches you. God’s will is not always as mysterious as we pretend it is. As you are making any decision in life, you do not need to wait for God to reveal his will to you by an audible voice or an intangible impression. Look to what his word teaches about your specific question and operate by what he expects.

Once again, Jesus modelled this for us. When he was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, he responded by quoting Scripture: “It is written” (Matthew 4:1–11). Jesus frequently appealed to Scripture as the authority by which he lived his life. It will help us to determine God’s will, and to stay within his will, if we do the same.

Third, surround yourself with godly friends and influences. Seek counsel from those who walk with God as you make plans. Wisdom is found in a multitude of counsellors (Proverbs 11:14). This does not mean that, like Rehoboam, you keep asking people until someone finally gives you the answer you want to hear. It means that you surround yourself with a godly community and trust the people in that community to give you wise counsel, even if it goes against your preferences.

Unsurprisingly, Jesus recognised the value of such community. At perhaps the darkest hour of his life outside of the cross itself, Jesus went to a garden to pray. He went to wrestle with God’s will for his life and, as he did so, he took his three closest companions with him (Mark 14:32-42). Though he was God in the flesh, he realised the value that godly companions could play as he sought to wrestle with God’s will.

Fourth, learn to cultivate an attitude of trust even when the way forward does not seem clear. We do not need to know the future as much as we need to trust the one who knows the future. Even when your best laid plans are dashed and the path ahead seems dark and painful, God is at work to conform you to Christ. You can trust that he will accomplish his will even when you don’t, in the moment, see or understand what his will is.

In this respect, we again follow the example of Jesus who, when he would dearly have loved to choose otherwise, prayed, “Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). As he prepared to go to the cross, where he would feel the full weight of God’s wrath for the sins of the people he came to save, his humanity desperately wanted another way. As he stared death in the face, he longed to be delivered from what he knew to be God’s will. But he knew how to trust. He knew that death would not be the end. He knew that his Father would accept his death as the penalty paid for the sins of humankind. He knew that his Father would vindicate him by raising him from the dead. He knew that he would receive the prize for which he would give his life.

Trusting God when the way is not clear begins by trusting him when the way is clear. Determining God’s will in your planning can sometimes be a difficult task. But it is not always so. There are some things that we know are God’s will because they are clearly stated in Scripture. It is a valuable exercise to study the things that the Bible specifically states are God’s will. We do not have the time to do all of that here, but I will highlight one example: “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:8–9).

As you read these words, consider that: God is not willing that any of the people for whom Christ died should perish. He wants all to reach repentance. Jesus Christ died on the cross to save a people for himself. He rose from the dead as vindication that God had accepted his sacrifice. He now calls all who hear his voice to repent of their sins and believe in him for eternal life. Will you do that today? Will you follow Christ in a way that is clearly revealed to be God’s will and then trust him to lead you in the ways that are a little less clear?

I can’t tell you what the future holds. I don’t know whether you will face financial difficulty in the year ahead. I don’t know what dread disease will strike your family. I don’t know which church members we will bury in the year ahead. I don’t know whether June and December will invite a fifth and sixth wave of COVID-19 infections. I do know one thing: If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, he will save you. Will you trust him today?

AMEN