James exhorted those among
his readers who were from the “twelve tribes scattered abroad”
to consider that their lives were like “a vapor that appears for
a little time, and then vanishes away”, and when they made
their plans of commerce for “today or tomorrow”, they were
to remember they did not know “what shall be on the morrow”.
He desired for them to rather say, “if the Lord will, we shall
live, and do this or that”. In chapter four and verse sixteen
of his letter, James told his readers about the “evil rejoicing”
of their “boastings” where we read:
But now you rejoice in
your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
The
verse begins, “But now you rejoice in your boastings:”
James began with the word, “But”
which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be
written takes precedence over what was previously stated, “now
you rejoice” or “at this
present time James' readers glory in or account of a thing”
“in your boastings” which
means “in James' readers' empty, braggart talk which is insolent
and trusts in its own power and resources which shamefully despises
and violates divine laws and human rights”. Rather than allowing
for the Lord's will in their lives, James' readers were boasting in
their own ability to chart their futures.
The
verse continues, “all such rejoicing is evil.” James
added, “all” or
“each, every, any and the whole”
“such rejoicing”
which means “this kind or sort of boasting and glorying” “is
evil” or “full of labors,
annoyances and hardships such as toils and perils which cause pain
and trouble. They are “diseased, blind, wicked and bad”. James
concluded that every personal “boasting, brag and glorying” was
nothing more than “wickedness and disease”.
When we
meditate upon these words of James, we must remember “bragging”
about our own abilities to “mark time” is a “wicked” measure.
When we align ourselves with the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we are to
rid ourselves of personal “boastings” and never forget, He holds
our future and not we ourselves. Sometimes the Lord will allow us to
venture into places we should not tread, boast about things of which
we should not boast, and it is then we find ourselves in wretched
places to which we wish we would not have traveled. May the Lord help
us to rely upon Him fully for our futures, and let all “boastings”
in anything or anyone other than Jesus never come from our lips.
Next
time we finish the fourth chapter of James' letter as he shares the
consequences of not doing “good”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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