Sojourning Through Life

By March 1918, the “Great War” had been raging for almost four years. Like men in other armies, German soldiers had to come to grips with death all around them. Some had grown weary, but many still felt that momentum was on their side.

These soldiers felt excitement when orders were given for an offensive known as code name “Michael”—an assault along the Western Front beginning on March 21. As author John Toland commented, to most of these soldiers death meant little since “their lives were dedicated to the Fatherland.”

Richard Muth was one of those soldiers. As he waited for the attack, he wrote a letter to his family on March 21, 1918: “Perhaps I am born to fulfill my life’s work, my aim in life with this battle.” Muth would die in action the very next day.

Although the attack was successful, discouragement and weariness swept through the German army within months, and by November they had lost the war.

How little each of us knows what will happen from day to day. At the end of his life, King David acknowledged his realization that we are but “sojourners” through life. We do not own anything, but merely are “tenants.” All our days, in fact, “are like a shadow.”

Today, ask God to reveal His purposes for your life. Let Him show you your calling and your personal mission.

Remember: You owe everything to Him. Dedicate your time, talent, and treasure to His Kingdom. As you serve Him and seek to accomplish His purposes, He will give you fulfillment, joy, and peace.