“‘Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. 2 He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not.'” Job 14:1-2 (ESV)
Job confronts his human condition. He acknowledges the brevity of life and the certainty of death. Job identifies the presence of pain and tribulation in this fallen world. In anguish of soul, Job considers his life and weighs the impact of his circumstances.
Sometimes life seems to race by like the flash of a camera and at other times life seems to slow down and emerge at the pace of a canoe on a still pond. The common denominator is the brevity of life. In light of eternity, life on earth is so brief. It is difficult to fathom that a person’s life can be condensed to the dash between the date of one’s birth and one’s death.
- “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” James 4:14 (ESV)
Will your dash make an eternal difference? Will you allow God to use you for His glory? You may have a few more decades of living on this earth or you may only have a few months. What will you do with the time you have left? Invest the rest of your life in that which has eternal value. Stop fretting over the things in this life that erode your peace and evaporate your passion for the Lord. Focus on the love God has for you and the love God wants you to express to a lost and dying world through you.
Jesus warned us to anticipate tribulation in this world. Rejoice! Jesus has overcome the world and He lives in you.
Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 7: Job 14-16)
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
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