The Mere Breath of a Lifetime
4/28 Reading Portions: Numbers 5; Psalm 39; Song of Solomon 3; Hebrews 3
Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)
4/28 Reading Portions: Numbers 5; Psalm 39; Song of Solomon 3; Hebrews 3
Psalm 39:5
“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
DAYS
The brevity of our mortal lives should be an earnest consideration, one we should meditate upon often. The word,
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!
…appears twice in this psalm and is followed by Selah, so we are specifically instructed to pause and thoughtfully reflect on this truth. Our verse is preceded by the psalmist’s request to the LORD to make him know his end and to make him measure his days so he can recognize how short life is in the eternal scheme of things. I remember when I was a young Navy diver, I was full of vinegar and sea salt and felt like I was invincible. After Jesus saved me, I still needed to be reminded of how frail I was and how short was my mortal life. James, the Lord’s younger half-brother, reminds us of this critical perspective as well:
What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. James 4:14
There are many wonderful blessings from numbering our days and considering the brevity of our mortal lives; and today I challenge you to consider just three. First, knowing that we stand as a mere breath provokes us to trust in Christ more sincerely, especially for His direction for our lives (Matt 26:39). Second, a keen awareness of our shortness of days provokes us to make the best use of our time for God’s glory in Christ (Eph 5:16). Third, our conscious consideration of our mortality causes us to yearn for our immortality in eternity after Jesus returns and changes our corruptible flesh into incorruptible glory and everlasting emblems of God’s grace in Christ (1 Cor 15:51-54). Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Our mortal days You have made few,
So we may have eternal view;
Therefore, our time we must redeem
To give each breath for Christ, our King.