Life Is Short

READ: PSALM 90:4; JAMES 4:13-14; 2 PETER 3:8

Have you ever heard the saying, “Life is short, and then you die”?

That saying certainly applies to cicadas. Cicadas are big, noisy bugs that look kind of like grasshoppers. And every seventeen years, a certain type of cicada shows up from underground in a massive swarm to mate and lay eggs. But the cicadas don’t last very long. They live for only about six weeks once they emerge from the ground. Their lives are short, and then they die.

A cicada’s life is very brief compared to the lives of most people, but in a way, our lives are just as short. Sure, we may know people who live to be over ninety years old. This seems like a long time to us, but ninety years is only a brief time to God—after all, He is eternal. James 4:14 says, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

So, in a way, the saying is right. We live for just a short time, and then we die. But it’s missing something.

As Christians, we know that when we die, our spirits will be with Jesus. And one day, when He returns, He will resurrect our bodies from the dead and we will have eternal life with Him. For those who trust in Jesus, death is not the end. We will live with Him for ever and ever! We don’t have to fear death—or even a short life— because Jesus promises us eternity with Him. • A. W. Smith

• Do you know someone who has lived a really long time? No matter how old they are, their life is like a vanishing mist when compared to eternity. Our lives are short, but that doesn’t mean we have to fear death. Jesus was willing to die for us, and then He rose from His grave so we could be saved and have eternal life. And when we put our trust in Him, we can know that He will resurrect us from the dead and we will live forever with Him. (Find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

• Do you ever think about the brevity of your life and the opportunities you may or may not have? How could it be comforting to know that, as Christians, we get to look forward to living in restored creation with Jesus and the whole family of believers for eternity? And how could this hope give us courage to follow Jesus here and now? (Romans 14:8-9; Philippians 1:21-26)

What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:14 (NIV)