We come to the 10th episode of our series in the New Testament letter of James. His Hebrew name is Yaakov. He was a half-brother of Jesus, and he was one of the earliest leaders of the church in Jerusalem after the resurrection of Jesus. In this section James (4:13) addresses believers who have constructed all sorts of future plans, travel arrangements, and income generating schemes without reference to God; and he issues a warning and a reminder (4:17) that applies to our lives each and every day: ‘Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.’
I believe the best laid plans are those plans that we construct in obedience to God and directed by God.
I like a lot of James Blunt’s music but one of his songs entitled ‘Best laid plans’ includes these lyrics: ‘Tell me why all the best laid plans, fall apart in your hands; And my good intentions never end, the way I meant.’
Have you ever built something, or planned something or tried something you were really proud of? Did it turn out the way you planned it? If you’re a believer have you ever planned something or tried something that you later realised was your own idea and that God’s idea was actually something quite different?
Max Lucado wrote this short story: A little boy is on the beach. On his knees he scoops and packs the sand with plastic shovels into a bright red bucket. Then he upends the bucket on the surface and lifts it. And, to the delight of the little architect, a castle tower is created. All afternoon he will work, spooning out the moat and packing the walls. Bottle tops will be sentries. [Lollipop] sticks will be bridges. A sandcastle will be built.
Big city. Busy streets. Rumbling traffic. A man in his office. At his desk he shuffles papers into stacks and delegates assignments. He cradles the phone on his shoulder and punches the keyboard with his fingers.
Numbers are juggled and contracts are signed and much to the delight of the man, a profit is made. All his life he will work. Formulating the plans. Forecasting the future. Annuities will be sentries. Capital gains will be bridges. An empire will be built.
Two builders of two castles. They have much in common. They shape granules into grandeurs. They see nothing and make something. They are diligent and determined. And for both the tide will [eventually] rise and the end will come.
Yet that is where the similarities cease. For the boy sees the end while the man ignores it. Watch the boy as the dusk approaches. As the waves near, the wise child jumps to his feet and begins to clap. There is no sorrow. No fear. No regret. He knew this would happen. He is not surprised. And when the great breaker crashes into his castle and his masterpiece is sucked into the sea, he smiles. He smiles, picks up his tools, takes his father's hand, and goes home.
The grownup, however, is not so wise. As the wave of years collapses on his castle he is terrified. He hovers over the sandy monument to protect it. He blocks the waves from the walls he has made. Soaked and shivering he snarls at the incoming tide.
'It's my castle,' he [defiantly declares]; but the ocean need not respond. Both know to whom the sand belongs.
Lucado ends by saying, “Go ahead and build, but build with a child's heart. When the sun sets and the tides take, applaud. Salute the process of life, take your [Heavenly] Father's hand and go home" (Max Lucado, More Stories for the Heart).
As I’ve studied James chapter 4 this week the more I’ve realised that much of it is exhorting 1st century believers to live according to their ancient Hebrew scriptures – the Old Testament of our Bible. Time and again the author either quotes from, or alludes to, the Book of Proverbs – ancient trustworthy wisdom.
Let me give you some examples. Last week Paul Harcourt our preacher majored on the power of humility, reminding us of James 4:6; ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Proverbs 3:34 says, ‘He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble.’
From today’s Bible reading James 4:14, ‘You do not even know what will happen tomorrow.’ Proverbs 27:1 says, ‘Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.’ In James 4:15 we hear the author’s encouragement; “you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”’ Proverbs 3:5-6 says, ‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.’
James 4:17 says, ‘Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.’
Proverbs 3:27 says, ‘Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.’
I wonder; when we construct and build plans, where does God figure? Are there areas of our lives that we think are off-limits to God’s plans and purposes? For example if I’m planning, building and writing a sermon, seeking to give it some structure ready to preach on a Sunday; you would rightly hope that I’ve not just taken it to God asking Him to rubber-stamp it! “Look God, I know we’ve haven’t been in touch at all this week, but …here’s my talk for Sunday. I need you to sign this off. It’s the best I could come up with!” You’d hope that God’s been in the driving seat, inspiring, revealing, questioning, and building my words, working to build something to his glory!
What about business plans, or travel plans or money-making plans? Where does God figure? Does God get a look-in? How and why do we make plans?
That’s the context of today’s portion of the letter of James. It’s good to plan. It’s right to plan, but God’s very best for us is to not only plan with him, but to seek him for his will for his plan for our plans. At home, at work, in the church, and whatever we’re involved in. So James says, ‘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”’ (4:13); and this must surely also catch our attention. Plans are fine, travel is fine, business and making money is all fine – but as we go about our business are we more like the little boy on the sand, or the businessman constructing his empire?
The Bible calls us to get a grip of reality! Let’s face it we’ve probably all had times in our lives when we’ve either lived, or spent money, or drank wine, or worked, or existed as if we will go on forever – or as if we’re the masters of our own little corners of this world; as if there is no God, no master plan at work.
With all my heart I believe God’s not only got a master plan, but he’s revealed it through Jesus and in his word the Bible we get to read about it. James says, ‘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’ (4:14). When I consider that I am just one of 7 billion people on the planet, and then consider how many people have been born in the past and will be born in the future my brain starts to hurt. How does God know little-old me? But then I recall that the Bible says God knit me together in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139) and I remember the way that Jesus took great interest in people and I marvel once again at the love of God for his creation.
James concludes, ‘Instead you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that”’ (4:15); and for some of us this is going to mean a change of priorities, a change of mind-set, a realisation that God’s plan is the best laid plan.
Today’s reading ends like this: ‘Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.’ It’s one thing to be mild mannered, never rude and never doing anything or saying anything to offend or upset anyone, living a quiet and moral life; but …it’s another thing altogether to be aware of, and alive to, the positive actions and deeds that we can do to alleviate suffering, to stand up for what is right, and to push back injustice. Just because I may not actively do or say things to hurt others that does not make me righteous before God. In fact there’s nothing I can do – it’s all about what Jesus has done; but much modern-day folk religion says that we’re all quite a nice bunch of people really. Whereas the Bible reminds us in no uncertain terms that if I’m aware of the good that I could or should be doing – and I then do nothing – that is sin. So, if I know in my heart I should be speaking out against human trafficking and I don’t do it, that’s sin. If I should be sitting with my bereaved neighbour and I don’t, that’s sin too.
And in terms of what I’ve said this morning if we’ve heard God correctly and understood that he should be the master of our plans, the master of our travel, the master of our money, the chief executive officer of our lives …and we know that this is what we should do …and we then do not do it – that is also sin.
We need to remember that this letter of James covers a variety of topics, and the overall context is to help the early believers to live lives that faithfully reflect the Lord Jesus and what he has done for us. Towards the end of the letter James will remind his readers that ‘the Lord is full of compassion and mercy’ (5:11).
So where do our plans come from? Who is the Lord of our plans? As we build are we more like the boy in the sand or the grim and determined man in the office? At the end of our lives will we take our Heavenly Father’s hand and go home like the boy; or will we be trying desperately to hold a self-made empire together?
Let's pray together.
