Come Now, You Who Say

A few years ago we were studying James at our church and God gave me this song. It's one of my favorites to sing, but it's definitely something that is an ongoing challenge to wrestle with as the reality of the truths are continually present in our lives. The song comes from James 4:13-15: Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

and

Psalm 13:15-16: As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.

While the song does not cover the rest of the Psalm, I can't help but share it here. The beauty and wisdom that was given to our Old Testament King David is just too precious not to repeat:

But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul! (Psalm 13:17-22)

While the song is a sobering reminder of the limited control and time we are given over our circumstances and lives, we can rejoice in knowing that this steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting and that His kingdom is established over all. Wow. Just meditate on that.

Why am I sharing this song now? I share it to remind you and me that we have these plans, callings, desires to follow Him in a certain way or in a certain time, but his ways are perfect. His timing is different. His timing is better because He knows all things and is all-powerful. I share this because the most frequent questions I get these days are, "When are you going? What are you going to do when you get there?" and to that I say that we're trying to get there as fast as we can, but there are visa, insurance, school, and various other circumstantial barriers that we are trying to patiently and wisely wade through. When we get there we will support the work that is already underway. We will do our best to use whatever gifts God has given us to further the work He's already busy doing.