Read Psalm 144
Featured Verse: Psalm 144:4
“Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.”
David’s words are so true—and sobering, aren’t they! Time flies, life is fleeting, and before you know it, those who were once so alive and vibrant are now ambling toward the twilight of their lives. And on occasion, the saying, “here today, gone tomorrow” forcefully intrudes into your world with an unmistakable wakeup call that this is not only true of the people you know and love, it is true of you as well.
A couple of years ago, I had the privilege of spending time with two men who have served as my spiritual mentors. They were both great leaders in their day, and their influence in my life has been nothing less than defining. In their prime, they were unequaled in visionary, courageous, innovative and skillful leadership. They did for the Kingdom of God what not many others have done. These men were spiritual giants—God’s generals. Since that special moment, both men have crossed the finish line.
Seeing them was a bittersweet experience for me: I was saddened by the reality that they were not what they once were, but gladdened by the reward that most certainly awaited them for running strong and finishing well the race that God had set before them. Looking back on the ups and downs, the victories and the defeats, the sorrows and joys of their long and illustrious careers, King David’s words at the end this psalm (Psalm 144:15) aptly summed up their lives:
Blessed are the people of whom this is true;
blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.
These were men of God, and they were blessed. And I am blessed to have their thumbprint all over my life.
But time flies, and one day before I know it, I will be where they are. And when that day comes, what will those who have been under my influence say about me? And what about you? What will they say about the thumbprint you have left on their lives?
Sobering, isn’t it!
O Lord, teach us to number our days aright so that we might live them wisely! (Psalm 90:12)
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