Heaven

Heaven

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away. My life is no longer than the width of my hand. An entire lifetime is just a moment to you; human existence is but a breath.” We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth for someone else to spend. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.

Psalm 39:4-7

Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist, amassed his fortune by inventing dynamite and other explosives, which he eventually sold to various governments. These governments in turn made weapons out of the explosives. When Alfred’s brother died, one newspaper made a huge mistake and printed Alfred’s obituary instead of his brother’s. The article described him as a man who became rich by providing ingredients that allowed people to kill each other in huge quantities.

Alfred was sorely shaken by reading the mistaken obituary, and he determined from that point on to use his wealth to reward people for benefiting humanity. That decision led him to establish the Nobel Prize. Alfred Nobel responded to a sobering moment by evaluating his life and resolving to move in a different direction.

Isn’t it interesting how close calls can jar us and get us thinking about what’s really important in life? Maybe a serious accident of a child reminded us that relationships are so much more important than schedules. Maybe being confronted by a friend helped us see that our life was out of balance. Maybe reading Psalm 39:4-7 reminded us that in the end, the thing that matters most is our hope in God—and how we’ve been able to influence our children to place their hope in God.

As we assess our lives, what choices can we make today that affirm our hope in the Lord?

God,

Today we want to pray Psalm 39:4-7 back to you. Amen.