Nothing Focuses The Mind . . .

Reference: Psalms 39:4-5 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered"how fleeting my life is. 5 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” 

Observation: We live our lives differently when we remember that our days are numbered. There is a semi-comic statement that says; “Nothing focuses the mind like knowing that you will be hanged in a fort-night (two weeks)”

It is too easy to waste our time and our life. This verse reminds us that we are on this earth for a tiny, tiny slice of the infinite time we will live in eternity. To maximize the little time we have, we need to know what we are here for and live every day with a focus on fulfilling that mission.

If we have children in our homes, what will we do today to help them be God fearing, successful people? If we are married, what are we doing today to build up, encourage and strengthen our spouse and marriage? What are we going to do in the next 24 hours to contribute to God’s work on this earth? Who will we love, guide and serve for His sake today? What strengths has God given us that we can leverage for His advantage in this world?

Never forget that life is but a breath and make the most of it--today!

Application/Confession: Every time I do a funeral I am reminded (and I try to remind my audience) of how short life really is. Especially when I do a service for a young person. It forces me to remember that I can not live my life frivolously or without focus. At best I have only a very few decades to do what God has made me to do on this earth. I do not want to waste this precious thing we call life.

PRAYER:  Help me never to forget to keep my focus on the call You have on my life. May I invest the fleeting years I have to love my kids, love my wife and serve You, my God--and to do it well and with great focus.