The Passing Days of Man

"As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth." Psalm 103:15

 

Our days are few on this earth. They flee away as the dew in the morning and when we look at our life span compared to time, it is nothing. That's why Moses said in Psalm 90:10, "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." Now compare eighty years to 6,000 and you have nothing. That's why Moses wrote before this in Psalm 90:9, "For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told." So then Moses gives further advise in Psalm 90:12 saying, " So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." So, we are advised to apply our hearts unto wisdom. Yes, we need to go about our daily tasks and academics, but the chief concern in this short life is to apply our hearts unto wisdom. What is wisdom? We find the answer in Psalm 111:10, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever." Learning and having the fear of God is the most important thing we can do in this life because that will continue forever if it is done with Christ as the center of our life and soul.

 

Also in Psalm 103:15 we read, "As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth." So what is the flower of man? We find in Isaiah 40:6 that it is man's goodness: "The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field." So all the glory that we seem to get on this earth in this life is only a fleeing experience that will be cut off quickly. We read more in Isaiah 40: 7-8 about the flower of man: "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever." So man's glory will pass but there is one thing that will never pass, and that's the Word of God for we read, "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." Psalm 119:89 That's why we must read, study, learn, and memorize his Word: It will teach us the fear of God as well as live forever. It is so easy for us to get our priorities turned around as the "god of this world" (2Cor. 4:4) and deceiver of the nations (Rev. 12:9) works overtime to convince us that the world and all of it's splendor should be our love, even if we are a Christian. Remember what Jesus did when confronted by the glamour of the world. We read this in Matthew 4:8-10: "Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." The same is for us, Christ is our only object of worship and affection so let's leave the world alone and use it as we need but make our priority as following Christ and spreading the gospel!!