“Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.”
–James 4:13-17 (NLT)

This devotion is written in honor of Bill, a fellow chaplain who went to be with the Lord two weeks ago. Unlike most of us, Bill didn’t see what he could get out of life. He only saw what he could give to others. My prayer, therefore, is that this brief meditation will challenge us to do the same.

One thing I remember about growing up in California was the thick morning fog. I would walk to kindergarten with my sisters, while the fog surrounded us like a blanket. In a few hours, however, the warmth of the sun would burn off the fog until it completely disappeared.

The above picture is what James says our lives are like. Most of us take the short lives we’ve been given by God for granted. To explain what I mean, I would like to use the individual letters that make up the word “fog”, to speak to wrong attitudes which we all hold from time to time.

The F in fog stands for fleeting. Most of us live like we’ll be on this earth forever. James tells us that when we make our plans with an attitude of business and hurry at their center, instead of allowing God to be in the midst of them, we are stressed and we live without any form of peace, since we really don’t know what the future holds. But while we understand this intelectually, many times we still don’t yield our plans to God. We’re great at giving Him lip service, but in truth we think we know what is best for ourselves.

I believe we need to move this knowledge from our heads to our hearts, for life without God only leads to failure and frustration. When we allow this attitude to prevail, we are just spinning our wheels. When we don’t consult the God who knows the end from the beginning, we are like the children of Israel who marched around a mountain for 40 years. This is an amazing lesson, since the trip would have only taken 11 days if the people had listened to God. So instead of being in a hurry, we need to spend time with Him and realize that our unwillingness to yield to Him often causes us to miss out on the blessings which he freely Holds out to us.

The o in Fog stands for oblivion, which may be defined as willful ignorance. I think of oblivion as not just hurrying and making our own plans instead of listening. Instead, people with this attitude make their own plans continuously and deliberately, rather than asking God for wisdom and guidance. The attitude of oblivion is subtle, and when we try to control our own lives instead of letting God direct them, we are in big trouble. When we make a habit of living like this, we are numb to God’s working in our day-to-day lives.

James tells us that not doing what we should is sin, and Isaiah states that this sin separates us from God. Imagine driving out of a city with your car radio on. The further you go, the weaker the signal becomes. That’s the way our lives are when we move further and further from God’s voice.

But we can do something about this. Let’s allow Bill’s life to teach us a practical lesson. The G in Fog stands for gift, and that is how Bill saw each day. In contrast to the lifestyle I described above, God was at the center of Bill’s life, giving him and those he touched peace and meaning. Bill always listened to God, and he was never too busy to listen to others around him. Bill’s death has made me ask two all-important questions, and I would like to pass them on to you, my friend. First, where is God for you, in this mad rush we call life? Second, where would you like Him to be?

If Bill were physically here now, he would challenge us to seek God first above all things. Seeking His plans and not ours will not only give our lives new purpose and meaning. It will also help us walk in the way He would have us walk. So do this today, yielding your tomorrows to God, and you will experience the abundant life which Jesus spoke about.

Thank you for reading this, and may the Lord give you a wonderful week! We are trying to reach people who are hurting, so if God lays it on your heart, please consider becoming a partner with us. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.hcmachaplains.org and click on the Donate Now link. You may also send your donation to HCMA (Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association). Our ID number is 560. The address is 377 E. Chapman Ave., Suite 260, Placentia, CA 92870.

If you have questions, comments or prayer requests for Timothy or Stephanie Burdick, please call 641-715-3900, ext. 874157.