Your Life as a Vapor James 4:14

James began a thought as he desired for his readers to consider those who say, “today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain”. In chapter four and verse fourteen of his letter, James continued his thought as he declared their lives to be “a vapor, that appears for a little time” where we read:

Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

The verse begins, “Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life?” James began with the word, “Whereas” which means “whatsoever, any that and in that they” “you know not” or “James' readers do not put their attention on, fix their thoughts on, turn aside or put their thoughts upon” “what” which means “that, these, and this” ““shall be on the morrow” or “tomorrow or the next day”. “For” or “as, because, even, for, indeed, no doubt, seeing then, verily and therefore” “what” or “what sort or nature” “is your” which refers to “the people within the twelve tribes” “life” or “the state of one who is possessed of vitality or that which is animate with the absolute fullness of life and that which is both essential and ethical as it belongs to God”. James knew that no one knows what will truly happen in their lives “tomorrow”, and then he directed them to consider of what their lives actually consisted.

The verse goes on to say, “It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.” James continued, “It is even” which refers to “the lives James desired them to consider” “a vapor” which means “a mist”, “that appears for” which means “brings forth, shines and causes light” “a little time” which means “a small, puny, few and short period or duration” “and then” or “and thereupon, thereafter, and afterwards” “vanishes away” which means “is snatched out of sight, put out of view and made unseen”. James concluded that lives only exist for a short period of time and then go away like the “mist” that disappears into the sky.

When we consider these words of James, we should understand just how temporary our lives really are. None of us knows what tomorrow holds, and only as we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ do we have confidence that He does. Rather than think we shall live forever on earth, we should be aware that our time here is much like the disappearing “vapor” or “steam” that leaves a boiling pot. May we keep in mind how transient our earthly lives are, and may we use our time, whatsoever time that may be, to serve the Lord Jesus Christ with all our hearts, souls, minds and strengths.

Next time James tells his readers what they “ought to say”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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