thyself of tomorrow for thou know- est not what a day may bring forth." The question is, "What is your life?" Notice the question as James poses it here in the 14th verse of the fourth chapter. "What is your life? What is it like?" That is one of the greatest questions, I believe, anyone could possibly imagine. Ask yourself that at the end of this day. (It may be a bit discouraging for you to be absolutely candid and honest with your answer.) People today are trying to satisfy them selves with things. Contentment is not made up of such commodities. Fulfillment only is found in the possession of Jesus Christ as Sav iour. If our souls were structured with merely material composition, they then could certainly be satis fied by material possessions. But the fact that the soul and the spirit are immaterial substances proves that they cannot possibly be made content with anything other than that which is provided by God. Dr. Elwin E. Slosson was a na tionally-known chemist. He was the one who showed that man is made up of the same 16 chemical ele ments found in dirt. What is your life? Why, it is just a little patch of dirt. Or, as another considera tion, it is like a mist or a fog. It is very quickly dispelled. He who solicits only sensual pleasures is like a prisoner who spends his life in polishing and adorning his chains, all the while forgetting the enjoyment and desire of liberty. In the ancient Ottoman empire,
philosopher, Seneca, sagely de clared, "No man has such rich friends that he can promise him self tomorrow." Suppose you just found out that today would be the last day of your life. Would you act and react any differently than you may have planned for the day? James reminds us further, "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that ap- peareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away" (vs. 14). Saint Aug ustine commented on this by say ing, "Cod will not suffer man to have the knowledge of things to come for if he had preknowledge of his prosperity he would be care less; in understanding his adversity, he would be senseless." Actually, when it comes to the future, in many instances, ignorance can cer tainly be bliss. We are troubled by so many things that may never come to pass. That is why ignorance of the future can be a wonderful school of humility. There are many rea sons why God has not ordained that you and I should have the privilege of looking deeply into the future. For instance, what little child would have the heart to learn the alphabet or the multiplication tables if the teacher put down be fore him the years of school and college that would be necessary in the days ahead. You see, we only really know what God is dis posed to reveal to us. And we can be thankful He does not always lift the veil to let us know. Prov erbs 27:1 cautions us, "Boast not
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