Psalms 39: 4-7 “The Temporary Nature of Human Life”

The human life on this earth is so unpredictable. We can’t predict what will happen tomorrow. Today we are alive, tomorrow we are not sure whether we will be alive or not. We cannot decide on the length of our life span. We may exercise and control our food diet well, but ultimately God is the one who decides on human life span. Ultimately God is in control of our lives.
So, in realizing this fact of life, the psalmist asks of the Lord to remind him to number his days. At times we live our lives as if we will be living forever. The amount of investments and plans that we make seems to be never ending. We keep on accumulating wealth as if it will keep us going for the next 200 years. Many a times we forget to realize the temporary nature of life.

In vs 4, the psalmist wanted to be reminded to number his days. Why is it so? Only when we start numbering our days, than we will realize to appreciate others and all that we have. Only than we can completely trust in God because we are of no control over our life span. So, numbering our days will keep us humble and to completely yielded to the Will of God.

Vs. 5 further tells us how weak or frail we are before God. Human life is so temporary and it is just a breath. Breath is something that can not be preserved. The moments you breathe – the air that leaves your respiratory system can not be tracked down. Like the breath we are also without any standing or permanent form. We live for a short while and it will come a time we will die and be forgotten.

Vs. 6 tell us that our life is a mere phantom or shadow that disappears without leaving back any track. All our labor also comes into vain. The psalmist even says that the riches that we accumulate during own life span is left to spend by don’t know who. So life is so meaningless and temporary that nothing we can be proud of.

The agenda of human life is to wait upon the Lord. Vs. 7 tell us in all this hopeless, unpromising, uncertainty of life – we have a hope. Our hope is in the Lord.

Since this life is of no meaning and so brief, we can inherit a better and permanent life that will keep us going forever, that is eternal life. It is only through our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ that we can inherit this eternal life. So, to inherit what is eternal – we need to seek when we live in this temporary world@life. So, what should we do?
Romans 12:1-2
“in view of God’s mercy” – what mercy? When we were yet sinners, Christ Jesus died for us. His death on the cross substituted us from eternal fire. So, because God was merciful He sends His Son to die for us as a ransom for sin. So, we are required to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.
Christ is our only hope to make it into heaven. All that He requires of us is to offer our selves as a living testimony unto God.

How we live our life matters the most because we have to sit before His judgment seat (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Life is short and so frail. So, lets us make a full use of it in fearing God and keeping all His commandments that we will inherit eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ.