Steven J. Cole
September 11, 2005
When we lived in California, our clock radio was set to a Los Angeles news station that gave frequent traffic and weather updates. Sometimes I would lie in bed at 6 a.m. and listen as the announcer would say, “You want to avoid the 605 northbound. They are clearing a fatal accident at Slauson.” And he would go on with the conditions on the other freeways. I would think, “Some guy left his house early this morning to head to work, probably didn’t even say goodbye to his still sleeping family, and he didn’t realize that he only had minutes left on this earth. They only mentioned him on the radio to say that his death created a traffic jam!”
As you know, four years ago on this date, thousands of New Yorkers headed for work on what seemed to be a normal day. But the evil plans of a few suicidal men ended the lives of thousands and forever changed the history of our nation. Marla and I will never forget standing in line at the Eiffel Tower that afternoon when another American in line told us what had just happened.
James is right: Life is a vapor! Like a morning mist that soon vanishes, so life is short and uncertain. There are no guarantees about tomorrow, let alone next year or ten years from now. You may be young and healthy this morning, but you easily could be a corpse by sundown tonight. You may be thinking, “That’s morbid! I don’t want to think about such things!” But if you ignore these things, you will not live your life properly in light of eternity. James wants us to know that…
Because life is a vapor we should humble ourselves before God and obey His will.