“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” (James 4:14 NLT)

It’s been said that inside every old person is a young person wondering what in the world just happened. Life is a fast-moving ride. And if you’re not aware of just how quickly it moves, there’s a lot you might miss.

The Bible makes the same point in much more eloquent terms. In Job 9:25–26, Job says, “My life passes more swiftly than a runner. It flees away without a glimpse of happiness. It disappears like a swift papyrus boat, like an eagle swooping down on its prey” (NLT).

And David says in Psalm 39:4–7, “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath. We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you” (NLT).

We’re all rushing headlong to what lies beyond this life. And that’s a scary thought to some. Actor William Shatner, of Star Trek fame, once said, “I’m so not ready to die. It petrifies me. I go alone. I go to a place I don’t know. It might be painful. It might be the end. My thought is that it’s the end. I become nameless, and I spent a lifetime being known.” Someone needs to tell William Shatner that there’s a God in Heaven who loves him, and that he can know where he’s going after he dies. He can go to Heaven if he puts his faith in Jesus Christ, and he can live long and prosper.

In the meantime, we must make the most of our brief stay in this world. In the passage above, James asks, “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow?” What he’s really asking is, “What kind of life are you living? What are you doing with this precious gift called life right now?”

If you want to get more specific, you could change the question to “What are you doing with the precious gift of your marriage?” Or with your family or other loved ones. Time is passing quickly for them, too.

One of the best strategies for living life well is found in Proverbs 3:6: “Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” God knows every possible path that’s laid out before you. He knows where each decision will take you. He knows the routes that will lead to fulfillment, joy, growth, and maturity. And He knows the dead-ends.

If you trust in Him and ask Him to guide you according to His will, He will help you make the most of your brief time in this world.

Life is short. Live it well.

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