Living Like Each Day is Your Last

If you have ever lost a loved one, the reality of death becomes real. Hopefully, you have seen the importance of living each day like it was your last.

James 4:13-17 is a reminder that life is too short to live it ‘my way’ instead of God’s.

Life can end at any moment or extend into our 90’s.

Each moment we are given breath is a breath of grace from God.

I’ll Do it My Way!!

One Thing is Sure: We can’t get out of life alive!

That is a sobering thought but too often we live as if we will never die or have to give account for how we lived.

We plan our day but do we depend on God for our direction?

If you get nothing else out of what I am sharing today, I want you, to start living like each day is your last.

Don’t Boast About Tomorrow!

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; (James 4:13)

My husband and I go to visit family several times each year.

It is important to ask God for His direction and give Him our plans.

James rebuked the kind of heart that lives and makes its plans apart from a constant awareness of the hand of God, and with an underestimation of our own limitations (you do not know what will happen tomorrow). ~David Guzic~

We have no idea what will happen tomorrow. We think we can control our future but God has the last say.

Our life may go on uneventfully for some time and our plans may work out just fine.

Then one day our whole life could change in just a one moment!

Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. (James 4:14)

The whole idea that life is a vapor or shadow is a figure of speech commonly used in the Bible.

You might remember the story Jesus told about the rich man who made his great plans for the future, and foolishly lost it all when his soul was required of him (Luke 12:13-21).

This is a good reminder to be living like each day with more

Living Like Each Day Could Be Your Last!

James is not saying we should stop making wise plans for our future but that we should live humbly and depend on God for your future.

“There are two great certainties about things that shall come to pass – one is that God knows, and the other is that we do not know.” (Spurgeon)

James asks us to consider the fragility of human life.

He is not saying we should not make our plans. When you make plans for the future, it is wise to include the Lord and seek His will.

We live and move only at the permission of God even if we totally exclude or forget to include Him in our plans. (Acts 17:28)

James isn’t trying to discourage us from planning but from planning and doing life apart from humbly relying on God.

I am challenging you to live each day as if it is your last.

You really don’t know who will take your shoes off at the end of each day.

Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:15-16)

Knowing that life is short, we must be intentional about how we are living each day.

I am going to change my perspective on my tomorrows.

Just including the phrase, “Lord willing” gives the credit to God on who holds my future.

Life is too short to live for the glory of God by living like each day might be your last!

How can you more intentionally live like each day might be your last?

You can read more devotionals about the BOOK of JAMES HERE!