Brevity

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away. My life is no longer than the width of my hand. An entire lifetime is just a moment to you; human existence is but a breath. ... And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you." Psalm 39:4-5, 7

After waiting on hold for who knows how long and finally getting my question asked and answered, I said to myself, "Well, that's a part of my life I'll never get back." It's frustrating to see precious moments consumed by something not nearly as precious. I have noticed, however, that, by and large, I'm much less discerning of wasted time than I ought to be.

David made it a point to ask God to remind him of life's brevity. David did not want to fall victim to the illusion of timelessness on this side of eternity. For David, the reality of a fast approaching end provided a deep motivation to tightly focus his life in one direction. That direction? Towards God.

David's son Solomon was apparently paying attention to his dad because he would write this years later... "Death is the destiny of everyone. The living should take this to heart." Not to be morbid, but what would a life look like that is lived in the present tense awareness of its inevitable end? What changes might we make in our priorities or the expenditure of our time, energy and resources?

Grace and Peace,

Tom

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