“Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. 5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath.”
— Psalm 39: 4-5
Our lives on this earth are so temporary. We could die at any momment. We never know when that last breath may be. Recent events in my life have been a reminder of this fact. A friend of mine lost her father in a car accident. He was stopped at a red light and someone rear ended him. To think that one day he was healthy and alive and then the next he had left this world is a harsh dose of reality. My own father was in the hospital a few weeks ago and is currently there again.
You might be wondering, what is the point in recognizing that life is short?
Well, first of all, if you don't know Jesus as Lord then the knowledge that this life could end at any momment should be quite frightening to you. Where will you go when you die? Do you think that if you were a "good person" that you will go to heaven? Well I have got news for you, and you'e not gonna like it... the bible says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever thought badly about someone? No matter how good you think you are, you are still a sinner. The only way to heaven is by accepting Jesus as your savior. Ephesians 2:8 says "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."
For those of you who are followers of Christ, this knowledge should make you even more eager to share the Good News with those around you who do not know the Truth. I know my dad is not saved and every time he goes to the hospital I think that it might just be my last chance to witness to him. Knowing that this life is temporary is also exciting for us as Christians because we know that we will have an even better life in eternity! All the pain and trouble that we experience in this life will be nothing! How awesome is that?
