John Calvin Commentary James 4:13

"Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain:" — James 4:13 (ASV)

Go to now. He condemns here another kind of presumption: that many, who should have depended on God’s providence, confidently settled what they were to do and arranged their plans for a long time, as if they had many years at their own disposal, while they were not sure even of one moment. Solomon also sharply ridicules this kind of foolish boasting when he says that:

men settle their ways in their heart,
and the Lord in the meantime rules the tongue (Proverbs 16:1).

And it is a very foolish thing to undertake to carry out what we cannot even pronounce with our tongue. James does not reprove the manner of speaking, but rather the arrogance of mind, where people forget their own weakness and speak so presumptuously.

For even godly people, who think humbly of themselves and acknowledge that their steps are guided by God’s will, may still sometimes say, without any qualifying phrase, that they will do this or that.

It is indeed right and proper, when we promise anything concerning future time, to accustom ourselves to such words as these: “If it pleases the Lord,” or “If the Lord permits.” But no one should feel scrupulous, as if it were a sin to omit them. For we read everywhere in the Scriptures that God’s holy servants spoke unconditionally of future things, even though they held it as a firm principle in their minds that they could do nothing without God’s permission.

Therefore, as for the practice of saying, “If the Lord wills,” or “If the Lord permits,” it ought to be carefully observed by all godly people.

But James exposed the foolishness of those who disregarded God’s providence and claimed for themselves a whole year, though they did not have a single moment in their own power. They promised themselves the gain that was far off, though they had no possession of what was right before their feet.