No one likes to think about their own mortality, but we all need to be aware of it. As someone cleverly observed, “Everyone knows they will die, but no one wants to believe it.” This is a continuing theme in the Old Testament, especially in Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and the Book of Job, as well as the New Testament Book of James. David wisely\u00a0compared the length of his life to the smallest unit of measurement in ancient times\u2014a handbreadth, roughly 3 inches. Compared to the age of God\u2014which is infinite, beyond measure\u2014no human lives long.<\/p>\n
Why should we think about this? What are we supposed to do with this knowledge? It should impress upon us the importance of seizing each day that is given to us. As Paul the Apostle said, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil\u201d (Eph. 5:16). We have opportunities before us now that will have effects on into eternity, so we need to make the most of every situation, making the best possible use of our limited time. The Latin phrase Carpe Diem<\/em>\u00a0conveys this idea well. It simply means to seize opportunities while there is still time to do so.<\/p>\n Missteps, sins, and failures are a normal part of life. Sadly, all too often people quit trying after experiencing a public or even private failure. They feel they’ve blown it and are now disqualified for anything. However, God wants us to simply confess, repent, and then continue to press on, finishing our race well. It is easy to live in the past or dream away the future. The real challenge of life is facing the present. It is when we no longer allow ourselves the luxury of saying, \u201cOne of these days I\u2019ll do something about my temper . . . my commitment to God . . . my responsibility to my family . . . etc.,” that we finally stop making excuses and began to move forward with the Lord.<\/p>\n “LORD, we want to live in the present, seizing this day to serve You. Please forgive our sins; we turn to You and seek Your will today.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n =============================================================<\/p>\n\n\n\n Psalms 39 KJV<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1<\/sup> I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2<\/sup> I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even<\/em>from good; and my sorrow was stirred. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 3<\/sup> My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then <\/em>spake I with my tongue,<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4<\/sup> LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that <\/em>I may know how frail I am <\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 5<\/sup> Behold, thou hast made my days as <\/em>an handbreadth; and mine age is <\/em>as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is <\/em>altogether vanity. Selah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 6<\/sup> Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches <\/em>, and knoweth not who shall gather them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 7<\/sup> And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is <\/em>in thee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 8<\/sup> Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 9<\/sup> I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it <\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 10<\/sup> Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 11<\/sup> When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is <\/em>vanity. Selah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 12<\/sup> Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am <\/em>a stranger with thee, and <\/em>a sojourner, as all my fathers were <\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 13<\/sup> O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" No one likes to think about their own mortality, but we all need to be aware of it. As someone cleverly observed, “Everyone knows they will die, but no one wants to believe it.” This is a continuing theme in the Old Testament, especially in Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and the Book of Job, as well as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7928"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7928"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7928\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16532,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7928\/revisions\/16532"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}