Saturday, March 7, 2020

The Lord And Businessmen

James 4: 13-17

(13) Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." 

These are Christian businessmen who think they own the world. 

(14) Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 

Even the longest life is like a puff of smoke, that disappears. One life in the history of the world, is as less than a moment.

(15) Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that," 

As Christians, they should already know this. But they are arrogant. 

(16) But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. 

Instead James must remind them that it is evil, a sin. 

(17) Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.  

This is sin of omission. These men (and women) even today need to hear this. 

O my Father, please help us all to heed this, especially those of us who are in business for ourselves. I pray for all the Christian businessmen and women to remember to tithe on their income, and to help the less fortunate with gifts of benevolence. 

Father, send out Your businessmen and women as missionaries each time they go out of town, as well as at home. Let them enjoy the fruits of their labors, and also share. And those who have amassed much of this world's goods, let them form foundations that will help the less endowed, and the poor. 

My Father, send out Your children into all the world, to spread the seed of Your word until every living person can know how much You love them. And to bring Your unborn children to the birth into Your family. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord God Almighty, King over all Creation; to the glory of God the Father, through all future eternity. Amen.

Even so, come soon and quickly, Lord Jesus!