“If it is the Lord’s will, We will live and do this or that.” James 4:15
Tomorrow may never arrive. Yesterday is gone. We have only the present. This last statement is not absolutely true. We have more than the present. We have God!
It is always good to say “If the Lord is willing.” It reminds us that we are the Lord’s people and He is ours. We are the sheep of His pasture: Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. (Psalm 100:3)
In 1643 the Westminster Assembly met to reform the English church. The assembly was led in prayer by a self-willed cleric whose petition was, “Lord, we beseech Thee that Thou wilt guide us aright, for we are determined.”
Did you notice the last statement, “For we are determined”? Exactly what does this mean? Had he not already made up his mind? Why beseech the Lord when he is already determined? Let’s not be too accusing. There are times when we go to the Lord in prayer and we already know what we are going to do and we just want him to place his stamp of approval on what we have decided. It is a bit like the old boy who prayed “Lord please give me a Christian wife who will help me to live a good Christian life, and please let it be Mary Ellen.”
It would be good for us to back away for a bit and let God work in our minds and hearts. Before we make up our minds about the direction for our lives, we should say, “What is your will O, God”? When we start with our minds already made up we can get ourselves deeper into the mire of our own making. But if we wait on the Lord, He will help us to mount up with the wings of eagles and move ahead in life. (Isaiah 40:31)
We can live and accomplish much tomorrow because God is there but we need to seek His will. If it is the Lord’s will.