“You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” – James 4:14

After listening to the many interviews of people traumatized by the missile scare in Hawaii last week, I noticed one particular phrase which was repeated over and over again: “No one knew what to do.”

I believe that the false alarm was yet another of God’s many wake-up calls to those who are complacent and living their lives as though they will never end.

It was a warning in love and mercy to stir you from your sleep so that you would never forget that your life is a vapor – you are here one moment and gone the next.

Although you do not know the day or the hour that your life will end, you are promised that every person is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.

Most people do not have any idea what to do to prepare for that moment.

There is little understanding that each of us will be held accountable for every word and deed, every thought and every secret thing.

So, in light of that truth, I urge you to seek God – learn His ways through prayer and the study of His word, and then live each day for His glory and for the benefit of others.

Fear God as you fear a loving parent because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

Keep God’s commands out of love, honor, and respect for Him because He gives you these commands for your own good.

Understand that all have sinned, so ask God to allow you to see your sin as He sees it.

When God makes sin real to you, and you see that it breaks His heart, just as your children’s disobedience breaks yours – repent by turning away from those sins and live a life of faith and obedience to the will of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Remember that faith is obedience. If you truly believe in Jesus Christ, you will obey His commands.

Jesus himself said that if you do not repent you will perish and if you do not believe in Him you will be condemned – but, if you do repent and believe then you will be given the Holy Spirit to empower you to persevere in repentance, faith, and holiness and you will gain eternal life with God.

Never forget that those who persevere until the end will be saved, so when you turn to God, don’t turn away again – when trouble comes don’t give up. Pray for the power of The Holy Spirit which God has given you.

Brothers and sisters, this is what you must do before you stand before God because after you die, it will be too late.

Teach this to your children and your grandchildren so that the next generations will not be left without the knowledge of God and one day stand panicked and confused in the streets saying: “No one knows what to do!”

Do not delay. Redeem the time which God gives you because you are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes, and you do not know how much time you have left.

In the words of AW Tozer,“If God gives you a few more years, remember, it is not yours. Your time must honor God, your activity must honor God and everything that you do must honor God.”

Repent Believe Persevere