Psalm 39

LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah (vv 4-5)

How often do you consider your life in light of eternity? At the end of the above verses, the psalmist inserts an interlude ('Selah' means to pause and calmly consider the preceding thought), encouraging us to consider our existence through God's eyes.

We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. (v 6 NLT)

The dictates of society leave little room to consider the above thought. We are encouraged to amass as much wealth as possible and dedicate ourselves to furthering careers, while those who struggle to make ends meet long for the day they can begin to climb ladders of success. But the psalmist points out that in the end it all boils down to nothing.

You can't take any of it with you.

Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. (James 4:13-14 NLT)

Solomon, the richest and wisest of men, spent a considerable time acquiring wealth, lands, slaves, and treasures (Eccl 2: 4-9), and he eventually came to the conclusion that it was all like chasing after the wind.

If, like David, we bear the brevity of life in mind, we will reassess our priorities. Our success will be judged, not by our possessions, but by our impact on those around us. Christ, who is our model and example, came to make a difference in the lives of those who followed Him. As Peter testified:

...God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. (Acts 10:38)

The Lord has called us to be like Him, and to carry out His mission until He returns; and while we may not all be evangelists, pastors or preachers, we are all anointed with the same Spirit. We are all able to make a difference in our environment, but unless we bear eternity in mind, we might just miss that part of God's intent for our lives.

You can probably point to a longing in your heart that you may suspect comes from God; a desire to do something fulfilling - for others, your community - or it may just be a deep yearning to draw closer to God. Life is too short not to take such thoughts into account, and in the end, Christ's words ring true:

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36)

Psalm 39 Full Reading

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved