A Vapor

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. — James 4:14

Life changed dramatically and irrevocably last week for those affected by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan.

The earthquake occurred in the middle of the afternoon during the work week. One moment, employees may have been stressing about meeting a deadline; the next, they were fighting for their very lives as the earth rolled. Some people were buried alive in their homes by landslides; others were swept away as the merciless wall of water obliterated entire towns.

Each of those people opened their eyes that morning having no idea what awaited them. Some would survive; some would enter eternity.

A dear family friend passed away nearly two years ago. At her funeral, the minister quoted a Scripture that had a profound effect on me: All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16).

The God who created you, the God who knows all things, the God who possesses all wisdom, has ordained a life span for you and for me.

It is non-negotiable.

It is not open to debate.

It does not hinge on whether or not you believe it.

It is fact.

There are no ordinary days.

Each ordained day is precious.

Each ordained day is a miracle that cannot be repeated.

We GET to live!

All of life is a gift…even the seemingly “mundane” parts.

We cannot take even one moment for granted.

“Wherever you are, be all there.” — Elizabeth Elliot

See the faces of your loved ones.

Laugh freely and often.

Feel the warmth of the sun on your face.

Truly taste your favorite foods.

Listen to the music of life playing all around you.

Each of us has been created by God for God. (Colossians 1:16-17). Our life may be a vapor compared to eternity but we are “dust dignified by Divinity” as author Jill Briscoe has said. Each of us is created in the very  image of God; therefore, each life is of inestimable value.

When all is said and done, what do you want your life to have been about?

Jesus was very clear about the purpose of life. He said, “This is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” (John 17:3).

As John Piper writes in his excellent book Don’t Waste Your Life, “What is eternal life? It is to know God and His Son, Jesus Christ. No thing can satisfy the soul. The soul was made to stand in awe of a Person–the only Person worthy of awe. All heroes are shadows of Christ. We love to admire their excellence. How much more will we be satisfied by the one Person who conceived all excellence and embodies all skill, all talent, all strength, and brilliance and goodness?”

Everyone’s life on this earth ends in coming face to face with a Person.

We are all traveling toward Jesus, whether we acknowledge that or not. (At the Name of Jesus every knee will bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. — Philippians 2:10-11)

Some will see Him as Savior.

Some will see Him as Judge.

It is your choice. Everyone has been given free will.

I beg you not to miss Him.

He promises that if you truly seek Him, you will find Him.

He is EVERYTHING.  He is Joy. He is Peace. He is Good. He is Kind. He is Love.

He is LIFE itself…vibrant, blazing, all-encompassing, beautiful life!

You get one shot at this life. It is not a dress rehearsal. In light of eternity, this life is a vapor.

Make it count.

Every day is a gift

You’ve been given

Make the most of the time

Every minute you’re livin’…Chris Rice