James 4:14 “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring–what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.”
Our life comes with an unknown as well for a vast majority an unexpected expiration date. President Abraham Lincoln would tell you this, On April 14, 1865, an assassin’s bullet ended his life, dying the morning of April 15. (April 15, 2025, marks the 160th anniversary of his sudden and tragic death) The passengers on the Titanic would tell us this as well. As they rode on an unsinkable ship that is only known for sinking the Titanic hit an iceberg on the evening of April 14, 1912, and over a thousand would not see the morning light of April 15.
From the assassinated President and the passengers on the Titanic who lost their lives that fateful night, you would hear that “No one should ever boast of tomorrow” which is what Proverbs 27:1 says.
After conveying the uncertainty of what a day may bring, Pastor James places a provocative question asking, “What is your life.” Instead of waiting for our answer, he gives his answer and it is an alarming, eye-opening answer. He says it is like a vapor – a fog. You know what fog is. Fog appears and then almost as quickly as it appears, it disappears. Pastor James’ lesson is so apparent, is it not? No matter how long a life is in years, it is BRIEF. This is one’s life. We are here and then we are not here.
Because life is brief we need wisdom for living. From Psalm 90:12 we find wisdom as we are challenged to count our days (not years – days). The idea is that by counting our days we realize how fast life will go by and thus we will want to make the most of EVERY DAY!
David said there was but a step between him and death. Yes, today’s devotion is sobering. You are not going to live forever on the earth. The life you have needs to be lived and it needs to be lived for Christ. The context of the verse challenges one to ask if they are a practicing atheist as they seek to live life without seeking God’s will. Don’t be a practicing atheist! Find and do the will of God.
Friends, you only have one life, and it soon will pass. Only what is done for Christ will last.
AN APRIL TO BELIEVE Note
With Easter on this coming Sunday, April 20, we are reading through the Gospel of John. On this April 14th, we encourage you to read/listen to John 14 where Christ is the Coming One. The key verse regarding believing is John 14:1. It says, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.” May this April be an April to Believe!
Continue Strong,
And remember to DATE The Word