OUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED, SO LIVE WISELY
SCRIPTURE:
“Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. 5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. 6 “Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain, they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be. 7 “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.” (Psalms 39:4—7)
OBSERVATION:
This prayer of King David is a fitting word for me today, reaching 61 years of life. David asks the Lord to show him his life’s end and the number of days. Sometimes people live life as if there is no end in sight. Some live life occupied with plans and goals in this life, but give no thought to how fleeting life is.
God is the only one who knows how many days of my fleeting life remain. As David put it, he made my days a mere handbreadth, and it’s nothing before God. David again put a perspective on how fleeting our days are, saying; it’s a mere handbreadth; everyone is but a breath.
I wonder how many live with eternity in their minds the way King David assesses his life. As I reach these 61 years of life, I view life differently now compared to when I was in my 20’s, 30’s, 40’, and 50’s. Just recently, I lost a few cousins of my generation. I have also lost many more classmates I grew up with and went to school with. It is shocking how eternity is only a breath away.
King David pointed out that everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain, they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be. A phantom is a ghost-like existence in life that pursue purposes that will not serve them in life. It’s people who planned only to be rich in this life and poor toward God. People make money for their masters and are driven to fulfill their master’s wishes and thus live as if they will be around to enjoy everything they have sweat years to have.
King David described them as people in vain, rushing about, heaping up wealth without knowing that someone else will have what they have been working so hard to achieve when they die. We will all leave this world someday and leave behind what we have been sweating years to build up.
I love how King David wrote when he realized how in vain a life of a phantom is, rushing about heaping wealth that they will not live long to enjoy. King David said, BUT NOW, Lord, what do I do? My hope is in you. The wealth we spend time going after will not accompany us into the next life. It is essential to have the proper perspective on how we live out our days today. Life is only but a breath and it is fleeting at best.
APPLICATION:
Wealth is always something that we all struggle with here on earth. I have my share of constantly planning and thinking about whom to have more of it. However, this birthday reminds me that while wealth is good to have, ultimately, having God as my only hope in this life and the next is a much better pursuit than wealth. I will make my God, my only hope, my main quest, and the one who provides for my daily need the one to live for. I’m still learning how to keep God as the primary pursuit in life. My relationship with him must take precedence over my pursuit to be wealthy.
PRAYER:
Jesus, thank you for reminding me to know how fleeting life is. Please help me to pursue you with all of my remaining days. Thank you for the life you have given me to live this long. I am grateful that you have helped me to pursue your purpose in this life you have given me. I am committed to your purpose and to always have you as my hope and joy. Use this life and the remaining days you have blessed me with to serve you wholeheartedly. Take my life and let it be, consecrated Lord to thee. Amen.
