Edmund Burke, a favorite statesman of mine once said, “What shadows we are, and what shadows we pursue.”  I thought about that statement after hearing news of an acquaintance, that from outward appearances had everything going for them…..Money, possessions, houses….all that one could want in this temporal world.  I have seen them pursue every worldly attainment one could want….and the sad part about this, they are Christians, but in name only.  They have fallen away from Him into worldly pursuits…  Things…..things that have no lasting value.  Things that will not give inner strength when trouble comes……and then trouble came……. major health problems, family problems and then depression….

“Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is:  that I may know how frail I am.  Behold, Thou hast made my days as an handbreadth;  and mine age is as nothing before Thee:  verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.  Surely every man walketh in a vain shew:  surely they are disquieted in vain:  he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.”
Psalms 39:4-6

When I see situations similar to this, I often wonder, why do you not see that happiness is not in “things”?  We are not put here to see how many possessions we can attain….and yet when trouble came, all those “things” could not comfort them nor sustain them in their trouble.  Troubles that came suddenly and unexpectedly.

The trouble has somewhat passed for now, and it is back to their worldly lives, a trip to Vegas and other pursuits, until trouble comes again…..and it will.  Oh how we convince ourselves that we have time….or rather Satan convinces us that there is plenty of time to get our lives in order.

“And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: …..”    Hebrews 9:27

“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

“And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;  and it fell:  and great was the fall of it.”    Matthew 7:26-27

“For all our days are passed as a tale that is told.  The days of our years are threecore years and ten;  and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow;  for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.”       Psalm  90:9-10

Our lives are filled with much “busyness” and allusive attainments, worthless wonders…..and we know not when we may vacate this life.  All the more reason to live for and be faithful to Him.

There is a sermon that I remember that has stayed with me.  The preacher showed what the brevity of life looked like.  A very short span, and then eternity stretched out endlessly.  So, in measurement of time, as Scripture tells us.  Life is just a breath. Brief.

“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.  For what is your life?  It is even as a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”        James 4:14

I am reminded of a co-worker and their discussion that I listened to yesterday.  They had been discussing the benefits of various foods, which is true, but they told me that pop corn was bad for you and not to eat it.  They went on and on about what they ate, what not to eat, how long they believed they would live, and so on and so forth.  Foolishly thinking they too have plenty of time.

It matters not how long we live, but that we lived and were faithful to Him and to His Word, for our time here in this world is brief.

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter;  Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.”          Ecclesiastes 12:14

“The sky is falling down around me.  This kind of storm just might drown me, if I let it.  It’s hard to look on the bright side.  When you’ve been blind-sided by something you never saw coming.  The worst thing you could imagine……..”   ….but for the faithful Christian…..

Eileen Light