With the COVID-19 chaos that has seized the world in fear and tension the past few months, I wanted to share what the Bible says about the span of life on earth. In Pslam 90:10, “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.” Here we read that life is very precious and that often people are caught up in worry and fear, and then in a snap, we perish. This verse reminds us that we are not in control of life or when God calls our number. We do not control when we are born nor when we die (Genesis 3:19). We can influence our quality of life, but God makes the ultimate call. The verse in James 4:14 reinforces this point, “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.” So what is a hopeful and purposeful vision for life? What verses can we hang our hat on to inspire us to get up in the morning and live? Look at Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” This point is paraphrased in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God has a plan for our lives. He created us in glory and honour, to do good works and make the world a better place to live. If we believe these Biblical promises, we can wake up each morning knowing God is using us for His purpose and that our lives, no matter how long we are given on earth, has eternal purpose and meaning. That is what we need to focus on. Focus on life, not death for our God is the God of the living, not of the dead (Mark 12:27).
Span of Life
