Life is a precious gift. Let us pause a moment and consider the value of the blessing of life. In the immediate context, the thrust of James’ question is to emphasize the brevity of human life to those whose thoughts were riveted in time rather than in eternity. Relatively speaking, our existence upon this planet is a fleeting thing. How seriously, then, ought it to be viewed. How desperately its moments should be treasured. The Scriptures are filled with reminders of how rapidly earth’s sojourn passes. Job, in his suffering, appears to have dwelt on this thought more than most men do. His day seemed to pass quicker than a “weaver’s shuttle” (Job 7:6), or a single breath (Job 7:7). His days appeared to rush by like a courier with an urgent message (Job 9:25), as a “swift ship,” or like an “eagle who hastens to the prey” (Job 9:26). He saw man’s days as “few.” He was rather like a flower that blossoms and then quickly dies, or as a rapidly passing shadow (Job 14:1-2). Moses, who lived to be 120 yet was still vigorous (Deut. 34:7), lamented that man’s days “are soon gone and we fly away” (Psa. 90:10). Who among us who has reached the maturity of his life does not reflect upon the times of his youth as if they were but moments ago? Playing around the back steps, walking down a dusty road to the fishing hole, the smell of mother’s baking bread—where has the time gone? Perhaps, though, the most haunting of all thoughts is the reality that we’ve let life slip away quickly, having neglected so many grand opportunities for advancing ourselves spiritually and for helping others. Oh, if we could but rescue some of those times.