THE BREVITY OF TEMPORAL LIFE

…For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away – James 4: 14

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom – Psalm 90:12

The Bible testifies to the BREVITY of temporal life – life in TIME. Scriptures compare life on earth to many things, so that we may realize how BRIEF life is, how SHORT time is, and how important it is for us to number our days, properly prioritize our plans, and apply our hearts to wisdom and understanding.

- Man that is born of a woman is of FEW DAYS, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not (Job 14: 1-2).

- 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 (James 4:14).

These scriptures illustrate that life on earth is as brief as “few days”! The brevity of life is further displayed through the pictures of:
• Flower: whose morning beauty, colour, lushness and fragrance soon give way to withering, fading, or falling-off (1 Peter 1:24). The flower called ‘Queen of the Night’ blooms in one night, releases a sweet fragrance, and is dead and withered by morning!
• Vanishing Vapour: a mist that is easily dissipated. No solid plans can ever be built on the ‘permanence’ of a vapour or a mist!
• Fleeing shadow: empty, uncertain and unstable (Job 14: 1-2).
• Wind: that passes so quickly and swiftly, it is seen no more, as it it never passed (Job 7:7; Psa.78:39).
• Cloud: which comes to its height and then fizzles out. So does human life and man’s full strength (Job 7:9):

To those who do not know the Lord, life is like a brief CANDLE that is soon snuffed out. For the child of God however, life is like a lighted TORCH which he or she holds for a season, while it burns as brightly as possible, before turning it over to future generations.

The BREVITY of LIFE becomes acutely pronounced in comparison with the INFINITY of ETERNITY. Ponder on this: ONLY ONE LIFE, it will soon be past. Only what is done for Christ will last!