13 Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain: 14 whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say. If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that. 16 But now ye glory in your vauntings: all such glorying is evil. 17 To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

James has just condemned the selfish, worldly spirit which manifests itself in "wars and fightings," and also the presumption which takes the place of God in pronouncing judgment upon our fellow men. These are closely related to the false confidence in which we make plans for the future with no thought of God. As he now turns to rebuke such godless conceit, James rehearses the imaginary words of certain Jewish traders who are perfecting their schemes for a coming year: "Come now, ye that say. To-day or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain." Every step is detailed with absolute assurance, no suggestion is made of divine providence, no thought is entertained as to the will of God. "To-day or to-morrow" are regarded as alike completely within their power; the journey to the city selected is certain to be safe: the year is quite at their disposal; neither sickness nor disaster can possibly come; the business venture is sure to be prosperous; such seem to be the thoughts of these confident merchants, and their spirit is too commonly reflected by the professed followers of Christ. We are all tempted to regard the future with presumptuous assurance. We all need to be reminded of the words of James: "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." Not that it is wrong to make plans, not that it is wrong to engage in business, not that it is wrong to expect "gain"; but the uncertain tenure of life, the mystery of the future, the knowledge that God has for each of us a purpose and a plan, should make us conscious of our dependence upon him, and eager to know and to do his will: "For that ye ought to say. If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that." James does not mean that the expressions, "Please God" or "The Lord willing," should continually be on our lips; that might be mere formalism or cant; but the truth of God's providence, the belief that life and its blessings are his gifts, the reverent conviction that the future is wholly within his power, should so mold all our thinking that self-confidence and presumption would be impossible. On the contrary, to forget God, to plan with no thought of him to regard the future with boastful assurance, is not only foolish, it is wicked: "But now ye glory in your vauntings; all such glorying is evil." James concludes the paragraph by referring to a principle of wide scope and great importance: "To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." It is not only wrong to perform an act which we know to be contrary to the will of God, or about which we are uncertain; it is also wrong to fail to do what we know to be the will of God. It does not make life burdensome or gloomy, but it fills it with joy and satisfaction, when in all its choices and crises we can say from the heart: "If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that." Surely "in his will is our peace."