Life is short. The Bible describes the brevity of life in many ways. It is both temporary and fragile. Grass, flowers, a vapour in the mist, a shadow, a breath, a handbreadth, and a flower quickly cut down. These descriptions speak of the temporary nature of the human existence. It urges us to live with an awareness of our mortality and see what is eternal.
Life is short. What we gain in this life, including wealth, fame, positions, etc. are temporal. None of them can save us from death. We cannot bring any of them with us when we leave this world. It is said we cannot run away from death and tax. A podcast I heart the other day mentioned loan to be a third thing we cannot avoid. To a certain extent, one can avoid loan if one manages to live debt free. And some people find creative ways to avoid paying tax. However, no one can avoid death.
Life is short. Death is inevitable. Verse 10 highlights the futility of placing our trust in material possessions. Instead, we should live with an eternal perspective. Death is the great equalizer. When we die, it does not matter if we are the founding CEO of a global conglomerate, the head of a nation, the pastor of a mega church, the owner of a dog, the most popular singer, a bestselling author, a successful actor who play both a hero and the villain the MCU, or the richest man in the world, we all face the same fate. If we are wise, we seek and store up treasures in heaven. Those have eternal values.
Life is short. Psalm 49 encourages us to focus on what truly matters – our relationship with God and the legacy of faith we leave behind. It challenges us to consider how we use our time and resources in light of the reality that, yes, life is short.
Think about your life. While it may not be practical to devote 100% to treasures in heaven, how much a portion do we allocate to treasures with eternal value?
I invite you to say this prayer.
Father, teach me to number my days and to live with wisdom. Help me to invest in what is eternal, placing my trust not in worldly wealth but in you alone. May my life reflect your glory and leave a lasting impact for your kingdom. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Leave a Reply