You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. (Psalm 39: 5)


Psalm 39:4-7
New International Version (NIV)

4 “Show me, Lord, my life’s end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting my life is.
5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,
even those who seem secure.[a]
6 “Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom;
in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth
without knowing whose it will finally be.
7 “But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you.

Do you know what's most surprising in our life? "The brevity of life." That's what late Billy Graham said in his nineties. Even the spiritual giant felt surprised at how fast our days and years have gone by. When I was in my early teenage which must be in the 1960s, I read an article in student magazine that talks about the future. They talked about what will happen in the year 2000. "The Year 2000, new millennium ". Saying that I laughed to myself. It seemed such a distant future that I can't even imagine. But the year 2000 is already gone a long time ago. Yes, there's a time that time doesn't seem to move a bit at all. I remember that I murmured myself "when will they grow?" Looking at you when you were toddlers still in diapers. But look at you now! You are still young and energetic. I hope you keep the vigor and strength for a long time. But let's not forget how fleeting is our life either and pray as humbly as psalmist "Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting my life is."
By the way, why does he want to know it? Isn't it better not to know about the future and just enjoy today? Someone might say like that. What do you think? The Bible emphasizes that you should enjoy your given days. It says "Rejoice always." But that doesn't mean you should ignore the undeniable reality of life. If you do, you are fooling yourself. Christians should not shy away from reality. Instead, they face it most calmly and courageously. This is what the psalmist prays for. He wants to know the true reality of life no matter what it is and how it is. Why? It's because he can live best in the given days and years when he was equipped with the true knowledge of reality. So what is the reality? The reality is that our days are a mere handbreadth, our years are as nothing. Everyone is but a breath. Yes, that is a cool and cold reality. Got that? Then what? Then you should ask yourself "Where then is hope in my life?" Bingo! That's the point. When you are faced with the true reality, you will look and find true hope. Where is the true hope? Nowhere else but in God! There we reach the solution for the mystery of brevity of life. God made your days s mere handbreadth for you to look for Him and come to Him and dwell with Him for eternity. Hallelujah! Once you reach this eternal hope, it doesn't really matter how long or how short is your life. You just rejoice in Him day by day. I pray that you all have such a wonderful balance of eternity and temporality and rejoice every day. Amen!