Lessons Of Life

by Pastor Mark
October 09, 2020

Lessons of life in times of death

Whenever we experience the passing of a loved one or hear of the demise of a friend, it is always a sobering time. We thank God for the comfort that He gives to the bereaved family and to all who are affected. But there are also lessons of life that we should learn from someone’s passing that are meant for us to seriously consider.

The brevity of life

There are different images in the Scriptures that measure for us how short and frail life is.

  1. Our lifespan is like handbreadths. (Ps 39:5) The length from our thumb to our last finger is extremely short just as our lifespan is.
  2. Our life is like vapour. (Ps 39:5) A vapour would only last in the air for a fleeting moment. It is the same perspective that we need to consider to have for our life.
  3. Our life is like the grass and the flower. (Isa 40:6–8) No matter how lovely the grass and the flowers are, they would wither away all too quickly. Our life will perish all too soon.
  4. Our life is like a sigh. (Psalm 90:9) How long does a sigh last? It is only but a moment. While we may live 70 to 80 years and more, the years will finish in a short moment.

These images are stark reminders of how fleeting our life is. It is wise that we learn the vital lessons that the Lord desires to teach us.

Lessons to be learnt

1. Coming clean before the Lord

Being reminded of the brevity of life should cause us to rethink the true spiritual state of our life…as we stand before God. Amid our busyness of work, and even in serving God, we may think that we are close to God when, in reality, we are not. The challenge is for us to acknowledge before God our iniquities and our secret sins in the light of the Lord. (Ps 90:8) We want to be conscious of the wrath of God, as Moses was. While we have the time, it is wise to seek the Lord and His cleansing. Let us seek the Lord’s compassion and mercy early. (Ps 90:13–14) Let us seek to get right with the Lord.

2. Counting our days

As Moses understood the brevity of life and was conscious of the wrath of God, he pleaded for the Lord to teach him to be wise with regard to time, “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Ps 90:12) It is wise to recognise that our days are numbered and that we should learn to live our short life meaningfully and significantly. Moses used the last 40 years of his life well, serving the Lord. Let us pray for the wisdom to count our days and to use each day well both in our life and ministry.

3. Concern for the lost

Whenever I think about the brevity of life, I think of all those who are lost. Many are dying without the Lord each day. We have loved ones and friends who are still without Christ. We recognise that this is a race against time. Let us pray and find a greater sense of urgency in reaching out to the lost as we become that much conscious of how short life is. Let us be challenged to learn the necessary lessons of life in times of death that we may be wiser to live and serve the Lord more meaningfully and significantly.

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