Life, what is it?  In one form or another, most people have asked this question at some time in their life.  It’s one of the many themes of Psalms, Proverbs, and the book of James.

• James asked: For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. ~James 4:14
• A similar question is asked in Psalm 8:4: What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?
• David inquired about the measure of his days or the length of life in Psalm 39:

“O Lord,  make me know my end  and what is the  measure of my days;  let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!

While we might be concerned about the measure of life, we should also be concerned about the message of our lives. Solomon addressed the message of within the context of character and its influence. In Proverbs, he calls attention to the person who is:

• Ungodly man who digs up evil ~16:27
• Perverse man sows strife ~Proverbs 16:28
• Violent man entices his neighbor, and leads him in a way that is not good ~Proverbs 16:29
• Proud: Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him ~Proverbs 26:12
• Righteous man who may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity. ~Proverbs 24:16
• A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished ~Proverbs 22:3
• Undisciplined: Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him ~ Proverbs 29:20
• Unjust man who is an abomination to the righteous ~ Proverbs 29:27

I encourage you take some time to reflect on the measure and message of your life, and remember that it can be:

• Brief in comparison to eternity: Man is like a breath; His days are like a passing shadow (Psalm 144:4)
• Full of opportunity to make a difference in the life of another: Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for God is pleased with such sacrifices (Hebrews 13:16).

As in water the face is reflected as a face, so a person’s heart reflects the person.         ~Proverbs 27:19