Vapor of Life

By Adam R. Parchert

There, then gone. Elapsed.

Held for a moment, now gone.

A fleeting vapor.

Many times in the Bible, our life on Earth is described as a vapor, something that is here one second and gone the next.  James 4:14 describes our life like a “puff of smoke that appears for a short time and then vanishes”.  The book of Ecclesiastes uses the Hebrew word, ‘Hebel’ (הֶבֶל /Strongs #1892), defined as: vapor, breath, or mist, something fleeting, insubstantial, and temporary.  A rainbow, the morning dew, the bloom of a rare flower, all of these share the same ephemeral, vaporous quality of a short-lived beauty.  So it is with so much of life. The earthly accomplishments, the tender moments, the hard times, and the joyous embraces pass, like a breath, in and out of our lives. These moments are not shadows on the wall, which are mere embodiments of the light blocked by real life, but they are very real moments that serve to guide, mold, shape, and challenge us. The moments last for a short time, but their impact potentially lasts a lifetime.

Reaching out to hold.

My companion for a time.

Evaporation.

What then is lasting, solid, and certain?  Surly not human existence.  As the Teacher in Ecclesiastes lamented, a short time after we shuffle off this mortal coil, memory of us will fade.  Three to four generations into the future, our lives will be the vapor that is lost to the mist of time.  This is not meant as a point of depression, but a loud siren shout, calling us to discover that which lasts forever and will not fade.  In a world comprised of vaporous ephemera, what can we embrace that is eternally existent?  

The Teacher of Ecclesiastes has the answer:

I also know that whatever God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken away from it. - Ecclesiastes 3:14a NET

David, in Psalms, wrote:

In earlier times you established the earth; 

the skies are your handiwork.

They will perish,

but you will endure.

They will wear out like a garment;

like clothes you will remove them and they will disappear.

But you remain;

your years do not come to an end. - Psalm 102:25-17 NET

The truth and wisdom of the eternal God will last.  His truth will not fade with the heat of the rising sun or evaporate into an unretrievable vapor.  Although the physical aspect of existence will ‘wear out like a garment’, God promises so much more for those He calls His own.

Ultimately, the Teacher encourages us to enjoy our life and our youth. Cherish the joys in life, as they will come mixed with the bad.  There is a time for all earthly things, but they are all a vapor.  Through this journey in the cycle of life, he instructs us:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

because this is the whole duty of man.

For God will evaluate every deed,

including every secret thing, whether good or evil. - Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 NET

So handle the moments of your life with care and intentionality.  Don’t be hasty to turn away from the simple moments that bring joy.  Free your heart, mind, and soul from the striving for vapor and mist.  Endeavor for the eternal.

I release the mist.

Firmly grounded in the Word.

Onward through vapor.

About the author:
Adam R. Parchert holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies from Central Bible College, Springfield, Missouri. He has provided pastoral leadership in various capacities since 1996. From 2012 to 2021, Adam founded and led a suburban Chicago church. In addition, he runs a small business while actively involved in his local church and the Christian non-profit organization, The Crucible Project. www.thecrucibleproject.org