“What is life? For you are a midst that appears for a little
time and then vanishes.” James 4:14.
The word around us is a constant reminder of the brevity of
life. The psalmist in Psalms 90:12 says “Teach us to number our days aright
that we may gain a heart of wisdom” Even if you have never heard this verse,
you already know it’s implications: our time here on Earth is limited. A recent
unexpected death in my family really got me thinking about this: No one really
knows how many more days we will be alive. As we plan for each day ahead of us,
we always assume that we will have many more days to come, but we can never
really be certain of this. “Come now,
you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go such and such a town and spend a
year their and trade and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what tomorrow will
bring. What Is life? For you are a midst that appears for a little time and
then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills we will live to do
this or that.’ James 4:13-15.
As I pondered on the brevity of life this week, some
questions came to my mind. I will pose these questions to you, and I encourage
you to ponder on the answers.
If you knew that you only had two weeks to live how would
you live your life differently? Would you spend less time worrying about money
or bills or this or that? Would you spend a little less time in the office and
more time with your family? How about of those times you were too busy for
those you love? Would you spend more time with your loved ones? Would you offer
your forgiveness to someone that you have been holding a grudge against? Would
you ask someone who you hurt to forgive you? Would you tell the people you care
about how much they mean to you? Would you make amends for the things you have
done wrong? Would you spend less time being stressed out about things that are
trivial? Would you get right with the Lord and ask him to forgive your sins?
Would you be certain that you would be going to heaven? If you knew that you
only had two weeks to live what would you spend you last days on Earth doing?
The truth is we do not really know if we have more than two
weeks here on Earth. We do not even know if we have one more day. I urge you to
ponder on these questions. Do not wait until tomorrow to do those things that
you feel you need to do. Forgive that person who hurt you today. Make amends
today. Tell that person you love them today. Spend time with the people you care
about today.
When you were reading my questions did you answer that you
did were not certain if you would be going to heaven? Did you answer that you
wanted to get right with the Lord and ask him to forgive your sins? If you did
I urge you to pray the following prayer.
“For we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of
God.” Romans 3:23.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
The bible says that we are all sinners and have fallen short
of the glory of God. The penalty of sin was death, but Jesus came to take that penalty
so that we would live eternal life and have a relationship with God.
“For if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, will be saved. For it is with your heart that
you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and
are saved.” Romans 10:9-10
Prayer of Salvation
Jesus, I
understand that you are the son of God, and that you died on the cross to pay
the penalty for my sins.
Please come
into my life, forgive my sins, and make me a member of your family. I now turn
away from going my own way. I want you to be the center of my life. Thank you
for the gift of eternal life and for the Holy Spirit that has now come to live
in me.
If you prayed that prayer today in your heart, you are a
child of God. You are forgiven, and will spend eternity with God in heaven.
