But A Vapor

What is your Life on Earth?

Do you do this? I know I do. I even understand fully, well, as fully as we can while we are here, yet I still do it. What is it? Make plans. Look ahead to the Future. It is always a good idea... Right?? Always wise to plan for the future.. Right? Nothing wrong with working hard today so that tomorrow will be of ease.. Right?

There is only one small problem. Tomorrow is never guaranteed. We do not know if tomorrow will ever come.

"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." {James 4:13-15}

I have shared this story before, but I think it is necessary to share it again.. My Mom and my oldest Boy Joshua were extremely close. When she got sick, he spent as much time there as he could. Helping her with this or that. It was hard for him when she had to go to Hospice.

For those of you who do not know, Hospice is a GREAT Organization. They take care of you at your end of life time. They do not hasten nor slow the process, they simply try their best to make that time more comfortable and peaceful for all involved. The person dying and the Families. I truly cannot say enough good things about them.

Anyway, Joshua had a really hard time with this, so he and my Mom, and his Poppop, made plans that day, which was a Tuesday, to spend the Weekend with Mom. They were going to order Pizza watch movies and stay with her all Weekend. God had other plans. You can see where this is going right? Mom passed away on that following Thursday. The Weekend never came.

At the end, you know what Mom said. She regretted not having more time with those she loved. She missed the Holiday get togethers. She wanted more time with Josh of course. She worried about who was going to help him with his School work, etc.

You know what she did NOT say? I sure wish I worked more. I sure wish I make a million dollars. I sure miss my shopping trips. I wish I had that big House and was Rich and Famous. No. She said nothing of these things. I truly believe I witnessed the reason Jesus taught us this Parable in Luke 12:15-21

"And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

And he said, This will I do: I will pull downmy barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

In Ecclesiastes 1:2-4 King Solomon himself wrote..

"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun? One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever."

The Prophet Isaiah wrote this in Isaiah 40:6-8

"All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever."

Think of this span of time. An Eternity. Forevermore. Never ending. Always. Now think about your life. 75, 80 years? Many shorter than that, some longer. Let's say you are lucky enough to live a happy and healthy life til the age of 100.

According to the Word, "that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." {2 Peter 3:8} So your happy and healthy life til the age of 100 is a mere 10 percent of the one day of God. That means, you are born when God wakes up. He never sleeps, just as an illustration. By the time God has his coffee, You grow, go to School, Graduate, get Married. Have Kids yourself, Work, Retire, Become a Grandparent, a Great Grandparent, ETC. and Die. God takes a sip of His Coffee.

That is just a Thousand Years. Now picture a Thousand Thousand Years? A Million? A Billion? Why do you think Jesus himself told us that we should....

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." {Matthew 6:19-21}

As a Child or God, or even if you are not, you have today. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow is not guaranteed to arrive. It is what you do today that matters. It is this moment in time. This very second. There is no other. The Clock will stop ticking at the very precise moment that your time is up. Make the best of this moment, every moment. For you know not if there will be another.

John warned us this in I John 2:17 ....

"And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."

What are you doing with your time? How much time do you have left? I know some people that spend their entire life attempting to stay one foot out of the Grave. Sad this is, a lot of the time, that is exactly what puts them there. Working too much, worrying too much, etc. You do realize that there is much more to life than going to an Office, or Digging a ditch, or whatever your Job is, and Paying Bills. Right? Jesus taught us we should be going about the Fathers Business and we should be doing what Jesus told us. Same Jesus said this..

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." {John 10:10}

It is not a burden being a Child of God. It is a Blessing. It is not suppose to be long suffering always, but Joyful and Triumphant. We should be Celebrating the fact that whatever comes, come what may here on Earth, we will live for an Eternity with the Lord in Peace and Happiness. Paul wrote.,..

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." {Romans 8:18}

How are you spending your time. What are your Priorities? What are you Working for? Take a second and stop everything. Sit down. Close you eyes. Think about it. What would God have you do?

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!!