the eastern emperors were crowned at Constantinople. The royal ma son was always summoned in be forehand. He would set marble blocks in front of the coming mon arch. Each sovereign would then choose one slab which would later become his tombstone. The point was that at the time of the corona tion, he was also to consider his funeral. We should realize con stantly the brevity and severity of life. As the old Arabian proverb expressed it, "The black camel stops at every man's door." No one is able to escape its clutches. James is simply saying that our existence at best is no more than vapour. It appears for a moment and then it ceases to appear. It is not really there. There is no real lasting, permanent substance to it. In the wisdom of the Old Testa ment we find the prayerful petition teaching us to number our days so that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Basically, the truth is that the fear of the Lord is the begin ning of wisdom. There is not go ing to be any instant replay for any of us. We cannot freeze any activ ity or involvement that is taking place today. As we look at the future, it can not be, "Your will, Lord, except for the one thing." What James is talking about is the entrusting of everything we have and are to the Saviour. So often the problem is that we are not quite willing to let God have control of every aspect of our lives. There are still cher ished goals and desires that have ruled Him out and will ultimately bring our own spiritual downfall
unless corrected. Saint Augustine is purported to have prayed at one point, "Lord, make me clean . . . but not yet!" Temptations sur round us. Perhaps they are too much for us. We like them more than we should and we become more concerned about fulfilling them than we are fulfilling the will of the Lord. "We know not what the future holds In times like these today. The castles that we start to build May crumble and decay. With all earth's vast uncertainty, Some poverty, some wealth. For some the best the heart could wish, For other failing health. Hold onto God's unchanging hand No matter where you go. Relinquish not your trust in Him Though weakened by the foe. May God's eternal leadership Our stronghold ever be. Oh, strengthen Lord our faith and hope For what we cannot see." In verse 15 of James 4, the Apostle gives us the proper evalu ation for an outlook on life that will bring honor and glory to Him as well as contentment to our own hearts. That is, for that we ought to say, "If the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that." James Barrie, the author, pointed out that, "The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story but has to pen another. His humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with
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