“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. Selah” (Psalm 39:4-5, ESV)
It would be more than a challenge to think about all of mankind that has already walked on the face of this earth and then try to somehow reach a tally of their number … of their successes … and their failures!
But all who have lived life … they have shared some things in common … they have all sweated under the same sun … they have looked up in wonder at the same moon … and many have wept when life was all done!
Why weep … for the majority if not the whole of mankind … life had come to an end … and it did so … too soon! There were still things they needed to say … things they needed to do … items on their proverbial ‘bucket list’ unchecked!
If we knew when our time on earth was to end … which we don’t … how would we utilize that knowledge? What would we do different than we are doing at this moment in time? Would our priorities change? Would our values be tweaked or completely overhauled? How would life as we know it now change?
We’ve all experienced just a taste of abrupt change in daily schedules, rituals, time, sleep and a myriad of other portions of our lives that are now off-key!
David was looking for some insight on how to live a better and more fulfilling life that would include much-needed wisdom along with forgiveness for anything standing between himself and the Lord! Worthy desire without a doubt!
The truth is most of us are guilty to some extent of taking each day we’ve been given by the Lord for granted. We just assume, do we not, that we will have many more days to come, yet James writes his fellow Christians in James 4:14, “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”
Like it or not … life is not in our control! Life is fragile! And to the child of God knowing with confidence that the moment we have right now is in God’s hands … knowing that each and every moment, every day … well … they are truly gifts to us from Him … that’s where our faith and confidence lie!
I like this quote from Corrie Ten Boom: “Don’t draw up a plan and then ask for God’s signature: find out what His plan is, then put your name on the list.”
Consider:
- We must not forget just how fragile life, ours and others, truly are!
- We let the small and in most cases senseless things commandeer our time!
- We need to be more appreciative to our gracious and loving Heavenly Father!
- We are not invincible and we will not be on this planet forever!
- Yes … life is so fragile and it can end when we least expect it too!
Life can be compared in a way to a prism hanging in a window or from the rear view mirror in our car. As it twirls around … different perspectives and characteristics can be seen!
We all lose people that we are especially close to and love so much is just one of those perspectives.. And if we are blessed with any number of years … the more we witness … hopefully the more we are reminded of our fragility! The visit to “the house of mourning” is intended to be God’s reminder to us that life at best is short!
Sometimes … yes … sometimes … we can harm, injure and inflict deep hurt to the heart of another that we love and care for! We do so by speaking sometimes just one word … by saying or not saying something! The result is that which is most fragile, the heart of a person is broken, shattered and very difficult to try and piece back together! And this is yet another perspective when viewing the prism of life.
It is by looking through the lens of God’s Book that we find the wisdom to “redeem the time” … we will find ourselves making better use of the time we have!
As hard as it is for us to admit … there are no guarantees … how long we or our loved ones will be here … no assurance from the Lord that how we are feeling today or what we can do today will be how we feel or are able to do tomorrow!
My friends, it is entirely up to each of us to ensure there is time in every one of God’s gifts of “today” for our families … our friends … and yes, even ourselves! This won’t happen if our eyes are glued to the TV or squinting to read the small screen of our smart phones!
I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many times I have heard young people profess they would just like to know they have their parents undivided attention when trying to talk with them!
Yes … life is precious! Yes … life is fragile … and life, as you and I know it right now … will one day end! It is “appointed for all of us to die” at some time (Hebrews 9:27). Hit the “PAUSE” button, my friend and take an accurate inventory of what you are doing with the precious moments of your short life!
Read these words of our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”
Bill Fairchild, Jr.
No comments yet.