Young Adults' Group

The Wisdom To Understand The Mortality Of Life

by Pastor Mark
November 07, 2019

A sobering week

Last week, we saw the deaths of four persons as a church. It was a sobering experience to see one life after another coming to an end. Each death was a firm reminder of the mortality of life. As we experienced these deaths, we want to ask ourselves, “What wisdom should we be gaining about life and death?”

The prayer for wisdom  

In one of his psalms, David made a prayer to have greater knowledge and understanding about life and death.

1. The frailty of life

“Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am.” (Ps 39:4) The end is a reference to death. David was pondering over the length of time that he had left before his death. What would be sum of his days? He wrote further, “Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You; certainly every man at his best state is but vapour.” (Ps 39:5) A handbreadth is from the thumb to the last finger. God had made life to be very short. David considered the length of his age as nothing before the Lord. No matter how great a person’s life may be, it is but a vapour. How long does a vapour last? It will only last a moment. All these descriptions demonstrate for us how transient life is. Let us appreciate more deeply how frail life is.

2. The vanity of life

“Surely every man walks about like a shadow; surely they busy themselves in vain;

he heaps up riches, and does not know who will gather them.” (Ps 39:6) David also observed that man’s life is like a shadow that passes all too quickly. Many tend to busy themselves with work each day…pursuing the riches of the world. Yet, there is no guarantee that the next generation would not squander those riches. Let us be challenged to have the wisdom to understand how vain life can be

Responding with prayer

1. Hope in God

“And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.” (Ps 39:7) In view of the frailty and vanity of life, it is better to place our focus on the Lord. We should choose to learn to wait on Him. Let us hope in God rather than the things of this life. The material things of life don’t last. Let us place our full hope in God alone.

2. Seeking the Lord’s deliverance from sin

“Deliver me from all my transgressions;” (Ps 39:8) David asked the Lord for deliverance from his sin. David had transgressed against the Lord for not dealing with his enemies. But David had come to realise that life is so short and he should not have feared. Let us seek the Lord’s deliverance from our sins too.

3. Understanding that we are but strangers and sojourners

David had a proper understanding of life as he prayed to God, “For I am a stranger with You, a sojourner, as all my fathers were.” (Ps 39:12) When we include God in our lives and see things with His wisdom, we would have a proper understanding of life on this earth, that we are but strangers and sojourners in this short life. Let us be challenged to pray for the wisdom to understand the frailty of life and to always include God in our understanding and hope.

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