SOAP Devotional 2014-03-13
Scripture – Observation – Application – Prayer
Scripture:
Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16 NLT)
Observation:
We have no idea how long we will be here on this earth or anywhere for that matter. We need to be careful that our plans do not become our own plans rather than the plans of God. Planning in itself is not evil, but we should always keep in mind that God could change everything at any given time. Rather than just say that we are going to do something, we should always qualify it by saying, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”
Application:
“If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” What a wonderful way to state our plans. Right from the onset we are saying that we do not operate on our plans but on God's plans. When I was pastoring, I would spend September and October planning the text and title for all of my Sundays the following year. I was amazed at how God would give me insight for messages that were appropriate a year later. When 9/11 happened I had already written my message that god had given me the year before and it fit perfect since it basically was saying that no matter what happened in the world around us! our message was still the same. Time and time again that planning proved itself out. Even with that planning and seeking God's leadership, I was still always aware that God could change my plans at anytime. I kept that in mind knowing that although I felt God's leading, I knew that I could have missed God easily, too. “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” This is our plan!
Prayer:
God let me always be flexible so that I will not focus on my plans when you are trying to change things. You see the big picture and I do not. Guide me and keep me on your track whether I see it or not.