James 4:13-17

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."

  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.

Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." 

As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes.

All such boasting is evil. 

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.

When I was a little girl, there was an elderly lady in our church who finished every sentence she spoke of upcoming plans by using the phrase,

"Lord willing.."

I remember being fascinated by this lady's words.

I remember listening to her talk and then thinking to myself,

"Why would the Lord not be willing for her to go to the store?

Why would the Lord not be willing for her to be at church next Sunday?"

It was as if she was leaving everything in her life up to God's will.

And as a little girl, I found that very strange.

Until I became an adult.

Everything changes when you see life from a higher perspective.

Mrs. Willow knew something I didn't know.

She knew that whether or not she would be going to the store or coming to church next week was in God's hands not hers.

She understood the frailty and uncertainty of life, and she knew only God KNOWS for sure what our tomorrow's and even the rest of our today's hold...

because He holds them.

Today, you may have big plans.

Today, you may think you know exactly what is going to happen.

But truthfully, you don't.

And neither do I.

That can be a scary thought until we remember this.

GOD KNOWS

AND
Scriptures say that He goes before us making the rough places smooth which means that NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS,

He's already there!

This reminds me of my friend Kim's favorite phrase, "Fear not tomorrow, God's already there!" (I hope I got that right!)

He's behind us, with us, and before us.

He is omnipotent and omniscient.

All-powerful and all-knowing.

And He loves us!

Knowing and believing and trusting in Him means that we can freely and confidently say,

"Today, I am going to ____________, Lord willing."

I pray your day is filled with reasons to celebrate this powerful phrase!

Have a wonderful Monday!