Numerous are the places in Scripture which seek to graphically describe the brevity of every human’s lifespan.
Moses quantified it in Psalm 90 as “seventy years and if by reason of strength, eighty years” (v. 10).
Job declares that “Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; he flees like a shadow and does not continue” (Job 14:1-2).
James describes a human lifespan to be like a morning fog, “a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14).
David depicts the brevity of human life with these words: “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow” (Psalm 144:4).
In a best case scenario—one which has no tragic accidents in which you die as a child, a teen, or a young or middle-aged adult—life on this earth is incredibly short, especially when its length is compared to the timelessness of existence in the life to come.
O Lord, “teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
