Time flies by.

How fast does life go by?

Pretty fast according to James ........

Here's what he said about it. And he said it in the context of talking to businessmen, who were making plans about what they were going to do with their lives and their time.

James 4:13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”;

James 4:14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

James 4:15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

James 4:16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

James 5:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

You notice above, in the last part of James 4:14, that he asks a question about "your life?" He asks, what is it? And, then he answers it, "It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away"

So, two things are said about our lives, and how fast they go by.

1. Our lives are likened unto a vapor. Vapor comes from a word meaning to breathe, and speaks of air. The dictionary defines it as mist, steam, fumes, fog, and smoke. In other words, our lives go by so quickly, just like the morning fog appears, and before you know it, it's gone. Or the steam that you see coming off of kettle of boiling water. It's there for just a moment, not even a moment, and then it's gone. Well, that's what our lives are like with respect to time.

2. Vanishes away. That's what was mentioned in the verse, and the above comment. Vanishes, means, to snatch out of sight. To make unseen, to put out of view. To cause to vanish.

So, that's it. That's how fast our lives go by. But, here's what the Lord said through James about our lives and our plans.

We can live with God's will in mind, and therefore make the best use of our lives, and be the most productive in our lives, and connect our quickly vanishing life here below with eternity above in heaven, forever and ever.

You see, we have the choice of living with God, or without God. What James was encouraging, was to "coordinate" your life here below, with God who is above.

In other words, bring your quickly disappearing life into submission with our eternal God and His will and desires for your life. That's how to live the most satisfying and meaningful life.

It will still go by quickly, but it will be fruitful, fruitfulness that will remain.

Thank You Lord for the wonderful comfort that we derive from Your Word. It's such a blessing to us.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promises

1. Life goes by faster then we know.

2. Its sometimes amazing to us how quickly it goes by.

3. People say it goes by faster and faster as you get older.

4. I believe that. I've got the same perspective.

5. Speed does not mean we can't anchor down into God's will.

6. Being in step with God here, means real success in life.

7. Following the Lord now, invests our eternal futures.

How to get out of trouble

The way out of trouble.

That way, is listed and explained in the Scripture passage below. James was writing to people who had actually gotten themselves into a position of being friends of the world, and therefore enemies of God.

This is what he went on to say to them. And, as you will notice, it starts and ends with God's graciousness.

James 4:6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

James 4:9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Here's what the Lord says...

Receive His grace......Twice in 4:8, we are told He gives grace.

Submit to God........come under His authority.

Resist the devil........or oppose the devil like Jesus did when tempted.

Draw near to God......or approach God, come near Him.

Cleanse your hands you sinners.....through confession, repentance, and forgiveness

Purify your hearts you double-minded......be free from is the idea.

Lament and mourn and weep......be sorrowful.

Let your laughter be turned to mourning....take it seriously, be genuinely sorry.

Let your joy be turned to gloom.....similar to what is above.

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord...take this lowly attitude within yourself.

There is then this promise given in 4:10, that the Lord will lift you up. He will give you honor. That's what the Lord does in a person's life.

Jesus said, Mt 23:12* “And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Will you pray with me.... Lord, there is no one who has not gotten themselves into some trouble. And, there is no one who has not needed Your help to get out of trouble. We would ask right now for anyone who is either reading this devotional, or knows of someone who needs help, to let You bring them out of the trouble they are in. Thank You Lord. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promise

1. Trouble is not too much for God.

2. He loves the person in trouble.

3. He will help the person in trouble.

4. He will help you if you need it.

5. His grace is more then your trouble.

6. He promises to lift you up.

7. Humility is the only requirement from Him.

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

2 truths about God......and 1 about the devil.

God does resist, and He does give. James explains the two things about the Lord right here.

First of all, He does resist, which means to oppose......so, it is that God sets Himself against the proud, or those who set themselves above others.

Secondly, we are told that God gives grace to the humble. Grace is the undeserved, unmerited favor of God, which He gives to the person who is lowly. This is the opposite of being proud, or elevated in your own mind above others, here, to be humble is to be lowly in your own mind. Which is of course the more accurate way to look at ourselves.

In light of the above truths about God, James uses that familiar word, "therefore", or because of, or in light of, or this is what to do now, and that is to submit to God, to come under Him, to yield your life to Him. He also adds to resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

How interesting that if we resist God through pride, He will resist us, but if we give ourselves to Him, we are able to receive from Him. And, if we resist Satan, he will flee, or go away from us. Two different experiences with the Lord and the devil.

To submit then, is place or rank under, and it means to obey. Put yourself in subjection to God is what he is saying. Be submissive to God. Be subjecting yourself to God.

Back to the devil for a moment. How do you resist him? Good question. Here's what Jesus did, and I believe this is our best example and model to follow. When Satan was attacking Jesus in Matt 4, at every turn, Jesus responded with the Word of God. Jesus stayed with the Word, and rejected the words and ideas and suggestions of the devil.

And, that's how we can resist the devil also. Just stay in the Word of God.

1Jo 2:13* I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father.

O Lord. Thank You for making Yourself known to us, and helping us to understand who You are, and what Your ways are towards man. Thank You for being gracious.

And, thank You for the power of Your Word as we stand against the devil and his demons. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promise.

1. It's better to be humble then proud.

2. We can change and turn to God.

3. Submission to God is a very good thing.

4. Being proud, means God will resist us.

5. God gives, or bestows His grace to the humble.

6. Question, where am I at today?

7. Proud, or humble?

Are you in a deep pit today?