My Daily Devotions, and maybe yours too...........

James 4:11-17

11[My] brethren, do not speak evil about, (or criticize/condemn), or accuse one another. He that maligns a brother or judges his brother is maligning and criticizing the Law and judging the Law. But if you judge the Law, you are not a practicer of the Law but a censor and judge [of it].
12One only is the Lawgiver and Judge Who is able to save and to destroy [the One Who has the absolute power of life and death]. [But you] who are you that [you presume to] pass judgment on your neighbor?
13Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a city and spend a year there and carry on our business and make money.
14Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen tomorrow. What is the nature of your life? You are [really] but a wisp of vapor (a puff of smoke, a mist) that is visible for a little while and then disappears [into thin air].
15You ought instead to say, If the Lord is willing, we shall live and we shall do this or that [thing].
16But as it is, you boast [falsely] in your presumption and your self-conceit. All such boasting is wrong.
17So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin.
I put into bold those thoughts that got my attention. I was very convicted that I need not criticize anyone or anything except myself. And then only to bring it to GOD and let Him sort me out, or the problem out. There has definitely been too much emphasis on me and not enough on the LORD.
Another area of my life I thought about was concerning verse 17. Sometimes I walk a thin line in that area. I know I should be doing something and I don’t. I’m going to try to do better with the help and grace of GOD.
One of my study questions today read: Open criticism of others seems to be accepted in present day culture. Why does that go against the Scripture presented in James 4. What can you do differently?
I’m not going to answer that here but I want both of us to ponder it, meditate on it, and see what the LORD says to do.
One of my commentaries elaborated on verses 13-16 “It is good to make plans, but them will disappoint us if we leave God out of them. There is no point in making plans as though God does not exist, because the future is in His hands. What would you like to be doing 10 years from now? One year from now? Tomorrow? How will you react if God steps in and rearranges your plans? Plan ahead, but ask for God’s guidance. Seek God’s will in your planning, He will never disappoint you”.
I know that I was convicted to apologise to my son today for having a critical spirit at times. I pray that his heart would be tender and forgiving.