Don't waste the days of your life

James 4:13-15 (Message)

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, "Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we're off to such and such a city for the year. We're going to start a business and make a lot of money." You don't know the first thing about tomorrow. You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, "If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that."

I don’t wish to depress you, but did you know that the Bible describes your life on earth as the equivalent of a “wisp of fog”?  Elsewhere the Bible describes your life on earth “like water spilled on the ground” (II Samuel 14:14), “like a shadow” (I Chronicles 29:15), “like a swooping eagle” (Job 9:26), “a wind that passes….” (Psalm 78:39), “like a sigh” (Psalm 90:9), “like grass…..when the wind has passed over it, it is no more” (Psalm 10:15-16), and “like a mere breath” (Psalm 39:5, Psalm 144:4).  The older you are, the more perspective you have as you look back on your life and how quickly it has passed by and you more easily agree with the truth of these descriptions.  To balance the seriousness of this writing with some humor, did you know that life is like a roll of toilet paper?  Yes, the closer you get to the end the faster it goes.

Humans freely think about others dying, but don’t like to think about your own dying.  One moment you want to believe that you will never die, then another moment you realize that you could die in moment.  Certainly you’ve known people, perhaps your greatest loved ones, who suddenly lost their lives so you have a sense of the tenuousness of life.  You also know that life is short, yes too short; to do everything you’d like to do.  Yet, you also make assumptions about doing things years from now without thinking that life could end at any moment.

It is very important that you remind yourself daily of the brevity of life and not to assume that you will be here tomorrow. Appreciate each day; take advantage of each day, especially to say things that need to be said to loved ones and friends and do things that have eternal value as much as possible.  Never assume that tomorrow will come and don’t procrastinate doing what you can do today.  Treat each day as if it were the last day of your life.  Paul said that “today is the day of salvation” (II Corinthians 6:2) knowing that tomorrow for many people might never come.  Tomorrow is not guaranteed for you, tomorrow is only for certain for God.  Live your today as the psalmist wrote in 90:12, “teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom”.  Indeed, I believe that one reason life is so short is to give you a greater sense of urgency to acquire wisdom through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Realizing the brevity of life also helps you to appreciate your blessings more, to love your loved ones more, and to be more aware of the reality of facing the Lord at Judgment Day.

You’ve probably heard the phrase from Ecclesiastes 1:2 “vanity of vanities, all is vanity”.  The Hebrew word used for “vanity” or “vanities” means “vapor” or “breath”.  Life is vanity, a mere breath.  The context of these descriptions about life being like a breath or full of vanity is that without God, life is meaningless.  I like what A. Powell Davies is quoted as saying, “Life is just a chance to grow a soul”.  Compared to eternity, life is certainly like a mere breath, a vapor (read January 9 and December 29 mediations where eternity is defined.

One of the most popular movies of all time was “Titanic”.  You likely saw it.  Do you remember what Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Jack Dawson, said?  “I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You don't know what hand you're gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you... to make each day count.”  His character died soon after making that statement. 

Don’t waste the days of your life.  Make each day count.  Are you living your life foolishly by assuming that there’s always tomorrow, or are you living your life wisely, with the Lord at your side, not taking for granted that there will be tomorrow?  Be assured that you are saved in Christ, tell your loved ones how much you love them, and live your life today as if it truly were the last day of your life on earth. 

The dawn and sunset shout for joy

Psalm 65:8 (NASB)

And they who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Thy signs; Thou dost make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy. 

Worshipping the Lord is one of the primary characteristics of a sincere Christian.  The Bible is filled with verses that declare the need to worship.  One of the best passages on worship is Psalm 100.  Only 5 verses are used to describe the who, when, how and why of worshipping the Lord.

Who would not agree that among the most beautiful sights that the eyes of mankind can and will ever see are sunrises and sunsets.  It’s really a shame that people who live in the Midwest and its many overcast days do not get to see nearly as many sunrises and sunsets as those who live in sunnier climates.  A major reason why people migrate to the sunnier parts of the world is to enjoy more the beauty and glory of a sunrise and the beauty and majesty of a sunset. 

Have you ever thought of a sunrise and sunset “shouting for joy” as this passage states?

·  Practical meanings of “shouting for joy” might include

·  Gaining new or renewed perspective about your life.

·  Being overcome with what you are thankful for in and with your life

·  Being reminded of the incomprehensible power and glory of your Creator

·  Being stimulated by all the colors and myriads of sunrays to think in ways that you rarely think at any other time during the day.

The word “awesome” is used to describe people, events, and things that impress us.  Yet, frankly, the word awesome should only be used to describe God.  Job 25:2 says that  “Dominion and awe belong to Him”.  If God’s works are described as awesome as stated in this passage plus others like Psalm 66:3,5 and Isaiah 64:3, then how can any work of man also be described as awesome?       

I know that as I grow older I long for and understand better my need to worship the Lord.  Worship is never more remindful than gazing at a beautiful sunrise or sunset.  Seeing either of these over an ocean or the Grand Canyon or simply over the horizon from wherever you live has to stimulate your mind to think of the Almighty.  Unless your heart is cold and near death, witnessing an awesomely beautiful sunrise or sunset will remind you of the love of the almighty creator of this universe and you cannot help but shout for joy for who He is and what He has done.  Think of this phrase “shouting for joy” whenever you enjoy a sunrise or a sunset.        

“We can only appreciate the miracle of a sunrise if we have waited in the darkness” -- Unknown

“If your eyes are blinded with your worries, you cannot see the beauty of the sunset.” -- Jiddu Krishnamurti

Generosity

Deuteronomy 15:10 (NIRV)

So give freely to those who are needy. Open your hearts to them. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all of your work. He will bless you in everything you do. 

Shortly before the turn of the century, two young students were working their way through Stanford University.  At one point their money was almost gone, so they decided to engage the great pianist Paderewski for a concert and use the profits for board and tuition.  Paderewski's manager asked for a guarantee of $2,000.  The students worked hard to promote the concert, but they came up $400 short.  After the performance, they went to the musician, gave him all the money they had raised, and promised to pay the $400 as soon as they could.  It appeared that their college days were over. "No, boys, that won't do," said the pianist. "Take out of this $1600 all your expenses, and keep for each of you 10 percent of the balance for your work.  Let me have the rest."  Years passed.  Paderewski became premier of Poland following World War I.  Thousands of his countrymen were starving.  Only one man could help-the head of the U.S. Food and Relief Bureau.  Paderewski's appeal to him brought thousands of tons of food.  Later he met the American statesman to thank him. "That's all right," replied Herbert Hoover. "Besides, you don't remember, but you helped me once when I was a student in college."[1]

Have you ever heard of the “year of release”?  The year of release was God’s command described in Deuteronomy 15:1-11 that provided a comprehensive program of debt cancellation.  Wouldn’t that be something if such a law existing in our lives today?  Every seven years creditors were commanded to cancel all outstanding debts for their fellow Israelites while they were permitted to collect payment from foreigners (vs 1-3).  It was God’s ideal that there shall be no one poor amongst His people (v 4), but that ideal could only happen if His people obeyed His commandments (v 5).  God promised to bless everyone so that they could be generous themselves.  If anyone was in poverty, others would be generous (vs 6-8, see also Acts 2:44 and 4:32-35).  Yet that society, like all others, had people who would look for loopholes (excuses) so as not to give generously (v 9).  Such people would be in danger of God’s judgment.

Deuteronomy 15:10 is a commandment to give generously.  There are blessings when you do (see also Proverbs 11:25, Proverbs 19:17) and judgment when you don’t (see

also Proverbs 11:26-28, Matthew 25:41-44).  You must by all means lend to someone in your life who needs it and not be upset by doing it.  The Lord will bless you in ways you cannot imagine.

Who needs your “Paderewski-like” generosity right now?

---

[1] http://www.sermonsearch.com/sermon-illustrations/2636/paderewski/