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”; 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. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15)

Living In The Shadow Of The Last Hour

The brevity of life and the suddenness of death are part of the fabric of life. Everyone knows about death and how often it comes with an abrupt unexpectedness without warning. There is no denying death. No one knows when they will die. It comes like a thief in the night with a final swipe that can never be changed. Sometimes, because of illness, a time period is given for a person to live, and death is certain. If a tally is taken of those who die in one day, what percentage of those who died believed when they woke in the morning, they would be experiencing their final days on earth?

God has told us death is certain. He reminds us there will be no declaration of warning when death approaches. Jesus taught the need to watch and pray, for no one knows the hour of their final breath. The key to living is preparing each day as if it were the last; because one day it will. There is a truth that must guard the heart to know that life is short and will suddenly be taken away. The condition in which a man finds himself at the moment of death is the greatest secret yet to be revealed. That decision determines what happens after death because there is life after death.

Jonathan Edwards, one of the great preachers of early American history, once made this resolution: “Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of life.” Edwards understood the need to prepare for an inevitable day that comes without warning. It is an important part of the Christian character to always live in such a manner that while death may be without warning, there is nothing warranting concern as one has lived the best he can for the Lord. Every action of life is with eternity in mind. Each decision that is made has eternal consequences wrapped around it. Jesus said a faithful and wise servant always watches for the final day without regret.

God has given man everything he needs to live with the hope of eternal life in his heart. The preparedness of the soul steeped in the mesh of God’s words is a life living each day prepared. With each sunrise, the resolution of the day is to live that if it were the final day of life, it would be for the glory of God. Make each day count as if it were the last day. One day, Jesus will return. It will be without warning. There will be many who will be unprepared for death or the coming of Jesus, but do not let your life be wasted by not being prepared. There is time to prepare. Make your life right with God. Enjoy the mercy and grace of God because of His long-suffering. There’s a great day coming. Live for Jesus.