September 15 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

Our thoughts, deeds and attitudes are to submit themselves to the will of God. Recognizing this to be true, many Christians have made it a practice to add “God willing” or D.V. to any correspondence announcing a future event.

To express our complete dependence on the will of God by using such a phrase is a good custom because it has its roots in James 4:15. James writes, “Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’” Foundational to the use of the phrase “the Lord willing” is the attitude of our heart: do we trust in the Lord and show our complete dependence on Him?

The expression, however, should not become an overused add-on, as if our plans become safe if we tag on “the Lord willing”. It should come from a believing heart, filled with love for the Lord.

In his letter James takes to task those who flatly ignore God's will in their planning. Even though they may follow the routines of Christian living, their actions in other respects seem to indicate God has no place in their lives. To them making money is much more important than serving the Lord. God is not considered on their agenda.

The problem is not solved by adding “the Lord willing” to what we say. Prayer needs to precede our plans. That’s why we need to challenge ourselves and ask, “Do I live for the Lord or is my schedule layered with secularism, having only a light sprinkling of Biblical phrases for public appearance?” We say that we believe and trust in God. That faith must be translated into action. Our plans are to be in harmony with God’s plan. Through His servant James, the Lord warns us not to ignore Him in our plans. Otherwise we build on quicksand.

We do not know what tomorrow will bring. Our life is like a mist. Each moment is a precious moment. Each day and year that is added to our earthly journey is a gift from God to be used to His glory. Therefore, let’s make it clear from the moment we wake up to the time we go to sleep that we are dependent on the will of God. Let’s be straightforward and upfront that we depend on and live by the grace and mercy of the Lord. We cannot do anything unless the Lord permits it.