You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.Yet you don’t know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
5 sermons cite this verse
… and go to the cross conference. Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, here's what you ought to say. If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that. As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So focus with me on verse 15. you ought to say, if the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that. So there's an if clause and a result clause with two parts. The if clause is, if the Lord wills. And the two results are, we will live, and we'll look at that in about 20 minutes, at the end. And the second one is, we will do this or that. What does that mean? If the Lord wills, we will do this or that. What does that mean? It means he decides if you do this, and he decides if you do that. …
"What is your life?" James 4:14. [This Sermon was delivered by Mr. Spurgeon on the evening before he came of age, having been born on June 19, 1834. A much later Sermon on the same verse is #1773, Volume 30—WHAT IS YOUR LIFE? It was suggested by the sudden death of the Duke of Albany in 1884. A still later Sermon by Mr. Spurgeon, upon verses 13-17, #2242, Volume 38— GOD'S WILL ABOUT THE FUTURE, was delivered in connection with the "Home going" of Mr. William Olney, and was published in the very week that the Beloved preacher was "called Home" in January 1892] IT well behooves me, now that another year of my existence has almost gone, standing on the threshold of a fresh era, to consider what I am, where I am going, what I am doing, whom I am serving and what shall be my reward. I will not, however, do so publicly before you—I hope that I may be enabled to perform that duty in secret. But rather let me turn this occurrence to another account by speaking to you of the frailty of human life, the fleeting nature of time, how swiftly it passes away, how soon we all shall fade as a leaf and how speedily the place which knows us now shall know us no more forever! The Apostle James asks, "What is your life?" and, thanks to Inspiration, we are at no great difficulty to give the reply, for Scripture, being the best interpreter of Scripture, supplies us with many very excellent answers. I shall attempt to give you some of them. …
You see, God doesn't have to take your life. All He has to do is stop giving it. You understand that? It's of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed. Life is a gift from God. If the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that. Your life is like a vapor on a frosty morning, like a breath on a frosty morning. Here for a moment and then gone. You see, listen, accept death as a decided fact. It is a stubborn fact. It is an uncertain fact. And I'll tell you what else it is. It's a personal fact. Yea, though I walk, you are walking in the valley of the shadow of death, just like David was. Well, you know when a preacher talks about people getting ready to die, you know what happens in the human mind? You know what the human mind says? Tell them, preacher. Tell them they're going to die. Tell them to get ready. Tell them that they may die at any moment, friend. …
2. Another thing implied, is our boasting of future time itself, or acting as though we depended on it, that we should have our lives continued to us another day. Not only is the command of God delivered in the text transgressed by those who behave themselves as depending upon it, that they shall see and obtain such and such things to-morrow; but by those who act as depending upon it, that they shall remain in being in this world to-morrow. Both these ways of boasting of to-morrow are reproved by the apostle chap. iv. 13. “Go to now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain.” By promising themselves that they shall do such and such things, and that they shall get gain, they boast themselves of what shall come to pass in such a time. The apostle in the next verse teaches them, that they ought not to do this, no nor so much as depend upon seeing another day, or on having their lives continued, ver. 14. “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow: for what is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” And in ver. 15. he teaches us that both are uncertain and dependent on the will of God, viz. Whether we shall live another day, and if we do, whether such and such things shall come to pass? For that you ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that. Therefore he adds in ver. 16. “But now you rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.” …
10. “How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!” What are the weapons that are so terrible among us, to the inhabitants of eternity? How are the wise, the learned, the poet, the critic fallen, and their glory vanished away! How is the beauty fallen, the late idol of a gazing crowd! In how complete a sense are “the daughters of music brought low,” and all the instruments thereof forgotten! Are you not now convinced, that (according to the Hebrew proverb) “a living dog is better than a dead lion?” For the living know, yea, must know, unless they obstinately refuse, “that they shall die; but the dead know not anything” that will avail for the ease of their pain, or to lessen their misery. Also “their hope and fear, and their desire,” all are perished; all of them are fled; “they have not any portion in the things that are done under the sun!” 11. Where, indeed, is the hope of those who were lately laying deep schemes, and saying, “To-day, or to-morrow, we will go to such a city, and continue there a year, and traffic, and get gain?” How totally had they forgotten that wise admonition, “Ye know not what shall be on the morrow! For, what is your life? It is a vapour that appeareth awhile, and then vanisheth away!” Where is all your business? where your worldly cares, your troubles or engagements? All these things are fled away like smoke; and your soul is left. And how is it qualified for the enjoyment of this new world? Has it a relish for the objects and enjoyments of the invisible world? Are your affections loosened from things below, and fixed on things above, — fixed on that place where Jesus sitteth at the right hand of God? Then happy are ye; and when He whom ye love shall appear, “ye shall also appear with him in glory.” …