James 4:13 to 15
Go to now, ye that say, to day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
Life is a “vapor,” as stated in James. As I enter the “golden years” of my life, the days are whizzing by at a more rapid pace than in my carefree days of youth. I have to readjust my accounting skills to make sure my twenty four hours will suffice for my day ahead.
This morning, as I prepared myself to face my day, I planned what I thought I needed to accomplish. Then I was met in the church parking lot by a very troubled man who needed my attention for over an hour. The police had to be consulted. I was then asked to visit a church member’s relative who had just been admitted to the hospital with heart problems. After that visit, I hurried over to see a church member who was recovering from a major stroke. Returning to the church office, I tried to complete some of the priorities I had planned earlier in the day. By the afternoon, the hours had slipped by so quickly with unexpected circumstances that I realized again my time is in God’s hands. He is my accountant, as the Psalmist says in chapter 31, verse 15, “My times are in thy hands.”
All of this is a reminder of the importance of valuing every minute God affords us. Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” As a pastor, a father, a husband, a son, and a grandfather, I am made aware of my attention to my days. In James, we are called to attention by these words, “Go to now!” or “Listen!” Ye that say, “I have it all under control. My calendar is set. I have a grasp on what my life will be: my weeks, my years, my activities.”
God’s Word tells us concerning our days:
- We know not what shall be on the morrow.
- Life is brief like a vapor.
- We ought to say about our time, “If the Lord will, we shall do this or that.”
- The Lord’s accounting is best.
Vapor is caused by the process of evaporation, where liquid water transitions into gaseous water (water vapor) due to the application of heat, which shatters the bonds between water molecules. This process occurs constantly in nature as water evaporates from surfaces like oceans, lakes, and rivers, and it contributes to the water cycle, where water vapor finally condenses to form clouds and returns to the surface as precipitation.
The key factors in evaporation are heat energy, surface area, humidity, and air movement. Increased temperature provides the energy necessary for water molecules to break away from the liquid state to the gaseous state. A greater surface area allows more water molecules to evaporate simultaneously. For example, water in a wide container will evaporate faster than in a narrow one. Lower humidity levels in the air encourage evaporation. When the air is dry, it can hold more water vapor, promoting more liquid water to evaporate. Wind or air movement can increase evaporation by removing water vapor from the surface, allowing more liquid water to evaporate.
HEAT ENERGY
It says in 1 Peter 1:7, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” Sometimes the fiery trials in our lives, especially if we do not handle them in a godly way, will cause our life to shorten (or turn to vapor) due to the “stress” factor destroying our health. We need to continually bring our cares to the Lord so our health can be sustained to serve God as long as possible. The Holy Spirit can give us wisdom to know how to handle our fiery trials.
SURFACE AREA
It says in 1 Corinthians 14:40, “Let all things be done decently and in order.” We need to learn how to delegate. We cannot spread ourselves out too much in fulfilling our responsibilities or we will wear out. Spread out and wear out. Some of the hardest things about delegation are setting aside the time to get organized, finding competent help, scheduling the best time to achieve our goals, managing our finances to cover the needs, and then inspecting our delegated tasks to ensure completion. God will give us wisdom and people to do an even better job than we could have done ourselves. When we multiply ourselves spiritually through God’s power, we can reach more souls for the glory of God.
HUMIDITY
It says in Job 33:4, “The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” When the air is too dry, it can become hard to breathe. Imagine yourself walking through the Sahara Desert. The best humidity level for breathing is between 30% and 50%. This range helps maintain airway comfort and lowers the risk of respiratory problems. When we have the “breath” of God on our lives, our “spiritual” humidity levels will be perfect, strengthening every area of our lives: physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually.
AIR MOVEMENT
It says in 1 Peter 3:8, “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous.” Air movement causes friction when it meets resistance. It moves water (resistance), causing more vaporization. Standing for the Lord, whether by others or by ourselves, can cause friction, even when done with compassion, when it meets resistance. When we speak truth in love or hear truth spoken in love, friction is often the end result. Those in the Hebrew “Hall of Faith” stood for God by speaking the truth in love, and many lost their lives as martyrs. We need to leave our “time of living” with the Lord. Our life is like a vapor; “it appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away.”
The “state” of water vapor may vanish away from our sight, but it actually just transitions into another state, either liquid through condensation or solid (ice) through freezing. Both of these, in earth’s atmosphere, eventually fall back to earth. Applying this thought to our lives, when our life appears to others to have vanished away on this earthly side, it is guaranteed to have simply transitioned into another state which will live on for eternity! “He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth…” (Psalm 135:7)
Life may be like a vapor, but through the Lord’s help we can lengthen our days. “If thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.” (1 Kings 3:14) We ought to say about our time, “If the Lord will, we shall do this or that.” Today is the time to serve God! May we not be so deceived to live as if we control our days. God knows the path ahead. (Proverbs 3:6) Plan your day but leave your time in His hands. Your accomplishments will shine with His accounting skills!
