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The Brevity of Life and the Certainty of Death
We don’t like to think about it so we push it to back into the deepest, darkest recesses of our minds. We do our best to avoid the subject. We avoid the social events that pay homage to it save when a loved one is involved. We call it such things as tragic, senseless, inevitable, heartbreaking, untimely and even desired. What is the ‘it’ being discussed. The ‘it’ is death. Death is the horrid monster who comes and takes away our loved ones. It is the dark, dreadful phantom that plays no favorites and who eventually will come calling for you and me. Unless the Lord comes again before it happens, all of us will die (Heb. 9:27).
Another thought walks hand in hand with the one just mentioned. Life is short. O how brief it is! How fast it goes by. How often do we use such clichés as "it seems like only yesterday…" or "time flies…" or "the older you get, the faster it goes…?" Men inspired of the Holy Spirit mentioned the same thing in regard to life from time to time. Notice these few verses…
"Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue" (Job 14:1,2)
"Man is like a breath; His days are like a passing shadow" (Psalm 144:4)
"For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (Jas. 4:14).
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. (Hebrews 10:27) |
Life is like a span of a few days, like a flower, like a shadow, like a breath and like a vapor. All of which only last for a second in the hourglass of life. Not only is life short, but also it is uncertain. The words of the wise man emphasizes this truth for us when he says, "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth" (Pro. 27:1). Since life is so short and death is certain, everyone ought to seize the time allotted to him and use it for the glory of God (Eph. 5:15,16; 1 Cor. 10:31). Tomorrow is not the time to begin serving the Lord (2 Cor. 6:1,2). We only have today! Thus, let us serve God NOW so that when we face death neither fear nor dread will be experienced but only the sweet victory found in Jesus (1 Cor. 15:26, 51-57; Rev. 14:13).
~ Bill Burk
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