Jennifer Blacklock

“Lord, help me understand my end. What is the limit of my days? Let me know how fleeting I am.”

Psalm 39:4

The psalmist here is not asking to be told his fortune; not asking for his fate to be revealed or to know the day he will die. No, he’s asking for something far greater.

Like later when the psalmist Moses says “teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (90:12), the purpose of his request here is that he might be changed by realizing the shortness of life and thereby avoid wasting or regretting it.

“Let me know how fleeting I am.”

This life is a vapor, a puff of air. This is emphasized many places in scripture, especially in the books of wisdom like Psalm, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job. 

Yet the tone here in Psalm 39 is not despairing at the brevity of life, and the writer is not wishing this life was longer (what would be the point of that?) nor is he wishing to make more of himself so he might be prolonged somehow; rather, his desire is to recognize deep in his heart that life is fleeting that he might live well the few days that he has. The Bible makes it clear that the only way not to waste this brief life is to know, love, and serve the God who gives us life. 

I remember in seventh grade we each had to give a presentation in school on ourselves. Favorite color, places I’ve travelled, what I want to do when I grow up, etc. Interestingly, a good majority of the class picked the same quote as their favorite (I guess it was “trending” before trending was a thing): “live every day like it’s your last”. It’s interesting that this piece of wisdom can be either worldly or biblical depending on how it’s applied.

When the world says to live everyday like it’s your last- YOLO, live life to the fullest, etc.- the emphasis is on “me”. I’ve got strive to get the most and best out of this one life that I have before it’s over. Talk about despair. Actually, I once learned of a study on satisfaction that determined in order to be really satisfied by this life, one would have to experience nearly everything. Travel to every exotic place, be intimate with every variety of people, work every different job, see every notable thing. Impossible, obviously. Which is depressing if the point of this life is to try to satisfy oneself with experience and life before life is over.

The person who actually came closest to this was Solomon. Riches, fame, power, women, every interesting or desirable material thing, unspeakable accomplishments. And near the end of his life the word he used to describe it all was: meaningless.

When the Bible speaks to the mindset of “live every day like it’s your last”, there is bountiful hope. Jesus said to live each day expecting His return. The wisdom of the Bible implores humans to learn the one thing that is capable of satisfying insatiable desire- God. Scripture says yes, this life is short; tiny; a breath; you will never fill the gaping void in you with this teeny life with mere living- and that’s okay. Eternal life is found in Jesus, and loving him with one’s whole being- trusting him, serving him, making life about him– that is the way to be satisfied in this life and the next. The only real way to live life to the fullest.