Tag Archives: Brevity of life

Posted on

Time Flies

Teach Us To Number Our Days Aright

I’m simply stunned by speed of time these days. What once seemed interminable as a kid—school, chores, the preacher’s sermon, winter—now seems to rush by like a speeding locomotive. I blinked and suddenly this sixteen year-old kid panting to get his driver’s license is now panting just walking up the stairs. Watching my wife-to-be walk down the aisle has turned into the new adventure of grandparenting—overnight! Time flies, doesn’t it! I guess the best advice we will ever get as it relates to the speed of life comes in the form this prayer Moses offered: “Lord, teach me to number my days soberly, so that I might live each of them wisely.” Great idea: soberly assess the number of days you’ll have—then live them well.

Enduring Truth // Psalm 90:10, 12

Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away…Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom..

Time Flies!

True story: Kermit the frog was once heard saying, “Time’s fun when your having flies.” Okay, not true, but you get the point. Kermit got his idiom a bit garbled, but that is quite understandable when Miss Piggy is stalking you!

Kermit was on to something! The truth is, time does fly—whether you are having fun or not. Moses, who didn’t have the full New Testament picture of life after death, was reflecting on how relatively brief life was when he said in Psalm 90:3-6, 10,

You turn people back to dust,
saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”
A thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night.
Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—
they are like the new grass of the morning:
In the morning it springs up new,
but by evening it is dry and withered…
The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength;
yet their span is but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

How true that is! Are you as amazed as I am with the speed of time? What once seemed interminable when I was a kid—school, chores, the preacher’s sermon, winter, life—now seems to rush by like a speeding locomotive. I blinked and suddenly this sixteen year-old kid panting to get his driver’s license is now panting just walking up the stairs. Watching my wife-to-be walk down the aisle has turned into the new adventure of grandparenting—overnight! Staring in amazement at the mystery of life as our daughters were born seems like only yesterday. Now they are successful in their own careers and making an impact in this world.

Time flies!

You could certainly add your own experience to the narrative. And those of you who are older can definitely add an urgent witness to the speed of life even more than I can at this stage of life: Suddenly, the grandkids are getting married; great grandchildren are arriving; the body is not working quite like it used to even though the mind still thinks of yourself as a youngster, full of vim and vigor; you are facing life without your soul-mate—and something you never dreamed possible is now a gritty reality.

Time flies!

I guess the best advice we will ever get as it relates to the speed of life comes in the form this prayer Moses offered: “Lord, teach me to number my days soberly, so that I might live each of them wisely.” Great idea: learn to number your days aright, and therein gain a heart of wisdom.

Thrive: So perhaps it would be a good idea to follow Moses’ lead and pray that prayer today—and every day: “Lord, teach me to number my days soberly, so that I might live each of them wisely.”

Posted on

Living Under the Influence—Of You!

Before You Know It, They Will Be Eulogizing You

Time flies, and one day before you know it, you will be approaching the finish line of your life.  And when that day comes, what will those who have been under the influence of you have to say about your life? What will they say about the thumbprint you have left on them? Sobering, isn’t it! Time flies—which means you ought to live now in the way you want to be remembered then.

Read: Psalm 144 // Focus: 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.

I had the privilege of spending a great deal of time under two men who were my spiritual mentors—Dr. Murray McLees and Dr, Charles Blair. 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 were statesmen in their ministries. They did for the Kingdom of God what not many others have done. These men were spiritual giants—God’s generals—but when I served with them, they were approaching the finish line.

Watching them in their bell lap was a bittersweet experience for me: I was saddened by the reality that they were not what they once were, but was gladdened by the reward that 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 144L15) aptly sums 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 thumbprints all over my life.

But time flies, and one day before I know it, I will be where they were. 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)

Making Life Work: What do you want people to say of you after you are gone? It would be a worthy assignment to write out your eulogy—the word spoken about you at your memorial service. But here’s the thing: you’ve got to live that way between now and then!

Posted on

Time Flies

Are you as amazed as I am with the speed of time? What once seemed interminable when I was a kid—school, chores, the preacher’s sermon, winter—now seems to rush by like a speeding locomotive. I blinked and suddenly this sixteen year-old kid panting to get his driver’s license is now pushing sixty and panting just walking up the stairs. Watching my wife-to-be walk down the aisle has turned into the new adventure of grandparenting—overnight! Time flies, doesn’t it! I guess the best advice we will ever get as it relates to the speed of life comes in the form this prayer Moses’ offered: “Lord, teach me to number my days soberly, so that I might live each of them wisely.” Great idea: soberly assess the number of days you’ll have—then live them well .

Making Life Work
Read: Psalm 90 // Focus: Psalm 90:12

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

True story: Kermit the frog was once heard saying, “Time’s fun when your having flies.” Okay, not true, but you get the point. Kermit got his idiom a bit garbled, but that is quite understandable when Miss Piggy is stalking you!

Kermit was on to something! The truth is, time does fly—whether you are having fun or not. Moses was reflecting on how relatively brief life was when he said in Psalm 90:10,

The length of our days is seventy years—
or eighty, if we have the strength;
yet their span is but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

How true that is! Are you as amazed as I am with the speed of time? What once seemed interminable when I was a kid—school, chores, the preacher’s sermon, winter, life—now seems to rush by like a speeding locomotive. I blinked and suddenly this sixteen year-old kid panting to get his driver’s license is now pushing sixty and panting just walking up the stairs. Watching my wife-to-be walk down the aisle has turned into the new adventure of grandparenting—overnight! Staring in amazement at the mystery of life as our daughters were born seems like only yesterday. Now they are successful in their own careers, making their way in the world—quite well, I might add, and having an impact in this world.

Time flies!

You could certainly add your own experience to the narrative. And those of you who are older can definitely add an urgent witness to the speed of life even more than I can at this stage of life: Suddenly, the grandkids are getting married; great grandchildren are arriving; the body is not working quite like it used to even though the mind still thinks of yourself as a youngster, full of vim and vigor; you are facing life without your soul-mate—and something you never dreamed possible is now a gritty reality.

Time flies!

I guess the best advice we will ever get as it relates to the speed of life comes in the form this prayer Moses’ offered: “Lord, teach me to number my days soberly, so that I might live each of them wisely.” Great idea: learn to number your days aright, and therein gain a heart of wisdom.

Making Life Work: So perhaps it would be a good idea to follow Moses’ lead and pray that prayer today—and every day: ‘Lord, teach me to number my days soberly, so that I might live each of them wisely.’

Posted on

Time Flies!

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)

“The hero is the one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by. The saint is the man who walks through the dark paths of the world, himself a light.”
~Felix Adler

Posted on

Time Flies

Read Psalm 90

Featured Verse: Psalm 90:12

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

True story: Kermit the frog was once heard saying, “Time’s fun when your having flies.” Kermit got his idiom a bit garbled, but that’s quite understandable when Miss Piggy is stalking you!

Kermit was on to something! The truth is, time does fly—whether you are having fun or not. Moses was reflecting on how relatively brief life was when he said in Psalm 90:10,

The length of our days is seventy years—
or eighty, if we have the strength;
yet their span is but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

How true that is! Are you as amazed as I am with the speed of time? What once seemed interminable when I was a kid—school, chores, the preacher’s sermon, winter, life—now seems to rush by like a speeding locomotive. I blinked and suddenly this fifteen year-old kid panting to get his driver’s permit is now over fifty and panting just walking up the stairs. Watching my wife-to-be walk down the aisle has turned into the new adventure of empty nesting—overnight! Staring in amazement at the mystery of life as our daughters were born seems like only yesterday. Now they are pursuing their own careers, living in different cities, contemplating the kind of impact apart from mom and dad they want to have in this world.

Time flies!

You could certainly add your own experience to the narrative. And those of you who are older can definitely add an urgent witness to the speed of life even more than I can at this stage of life: Suddenly, the grandkids are getting married; great grandchildren are arriving; the body is not working quite like it used to even though the mind still thinks of yourself as a youngster, full of vim and vigor; you are facing life without your soul-mate—and something you never dreamed possible is now a gritty reality.

Time flies!

Yes, time flies, and I need to add a twist. As the poet said, “Tis one life will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” That is the truth, my friend. Time flies, so use it wisely. Make the most of it. Time is a gift from God, that’s why it’s called the present.

So perhaps it would be a good idea to follow Moses’ lead and pray that prayer today—and every day: “Lord, teach me to number my days soberly, so that I might live each of them wisely.”

“As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.”
~Henry David Thoreau

Posted on

Psalm 144: Time Flies!

 

One Year Bible: II Kings 9:14-10:31, Acts 17:1-34; Psalm 144:1-15; Proverbs 17:27-28

Time Flies!

Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.
(Psalm 144:4)

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.

I had the privilege of spending time this week 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. Now they are approaching the finish line.

Seeing them has been a bittersweet experience for me: I am saddened by the reality that they are not what they once were, but gladdened by the reward that most certainly awaits 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 aptly sums up their lives:

Blessed are the people of whom this is true;
blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.
Psalm 144:15

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)

“The hero is the one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by. The saint is the man who walks through the dark paths of the world, himself a light.”
~Felix Adler

Posted on

Psalm 90: Time Flies

Read Psalm 90:1-17

Time Flies

Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
(Psalm 90:12)

True story: Kermit the frog was once heard saying, “Time’s fun when your having flies.” Okay, not true, but you get the point. Kermit got his idiom a bit garbled, but that is quite understandable when Miss Piggy is stalking you!

Kermit was on to something! The truth is, time does fly—whether you are having fun or not. Moses was reflecting on how relatively brief life was when he said in Psalm 90:10,

The length of our days is seventy years—
or eighty, if we have the strength;
yet their span is but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

How true that is! Are you as amazed as I am with the speed of time? What once seemed interminable when I was a kid—school, chores, the preacher’s sermon, winter, life—now seems to rush by like a speeding locomotive. I blinked and suddenly this fifteen year-old kid panting to get his driver’s permit is now over fifty and panting just walking up the stairs. Watching my wife-to-be walk down the aisle has turned into the new adventure of empty nesting—overnight! Staring in amazement at the mystery of life as our daughters were born seems like only yesterday. Now they are contemplating their own careers, places to live, the kind of impact they want to have in this world.

Time flies!

You could certainly add your own experience to the narrative. And those of you who are older can definitely add an urgent witness to the speed of life even more than I can at this stage of life: Suddenly, the grandkids are getting married; great grandchildren are arriving; the body is not working quite like it used to even though the mind still thinks of yourself as a youngster, full of vim and vigor; you are facing life without your soul-mate—and something you never dreamed possible is now a gritty reality.

Time flies!

Yes, time flies, and I need to add a twist. As the poet said, “Tis one life will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” That is the truth, my friend. Time flies, so use it wisely. Make the most of it. Time is a gift from God, that’s why it’s called the present.

So perhaps it would be a good idea to follow Moses’ lead and pray that prayer today—and every day: “Lord, teach me to number my days soberly, so that I might live each of them wisely.”

“As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.”
~Henry David Thoreau