Today or Tomorrow to Buy and Sell James 4:13

After declaring, “there is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy”, James the “servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” asked his readers who they were “that judges another”. In chapter four and verse thirteen of his letter, James set out a proposal to those who thought they could go into another city “today or tomorrow to buy and sell” where we read:

Go to now, you that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city,

and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

The verse begins, “Go to now, you that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city,

and continue there a year,...” James began with the words, “Go to now” or “come now or at this present time”, “you that say” which means “those who speak, maintain, teach, exhort, advise, command and direct”, “To day or tomorrow” which refers to “this very and same day or the next day” “we will go” or “lead, carry over, transfer, depart and continue” “into such a city” which means “unto and towards a preceding and particular place where one lives or a native city where inhabitants dwell” “and continue” which is the Greek phase “poieō poieō” and means “to make, produce, construct, form, fashion and be the authors of a cause” “there a year” which refers to “in that particular place for a year or some fixed definite period of time”. James shared a proposal with his readers who thought they were able to direct their own destiny concerning speculation into other places for commerce and venture.

The verse goes on to say, “...and buy and sell, and get gain:” James continued, “and buy and sell” which means “trade, travel for business, traffic, import for sale and deal”, “and get gain” which is the Greek phrase “kerdainō kerdainō” and means “to acquire and win”. James showed the drive and motive - “acquire and win” - by those who proposed to go into another city and “produce, construct and fashion” for a period of time.

When we think through these words of James, we know we are reading only the middle of his thought. We may join those who have made plans to “venture out”, perhaps to another city, to do business and make gains for ourselves. James' readers were perhaps in the state of mind of marking their own destinies as they dreamed about commerce, winning and gain. Jesus Christ desires to be “Lord” in our lives, and when He is, our destiny is in His hands. We shall see James' answer to this proposal in the next few verses, but suffice it for now to note that He knows what is best for our futures.

Next time James tells his readers “you know not what shall be on the morrow”, 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.