A Measure of Days

And a very good morning to you! It is Monday morning. It is the 21st of February, the year 2022. And this is your friend Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

“Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.”

Job 14:5

And then Psalm 39:4:

“Lord, make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.”

Our days on this earth have been appointed to us even before we were born. You cannot lengthen and you cannot shorten your life - It is in God’s hands alone. Now, there are exceptions... King Hezekiah prayed to God on his deathbed. He was weeping bitterly and he asked God to increase his life and God gave him 15 years extra. You can read that in 2 Kings Chapter 20.

The sad thing is some people are obsessed with trying to prolong their lives and in so doing live miserable, sad lives. It is not about the length of time that we have on this earth that counts, it is what we do with that time that God has given us that counts. You know, Paul said

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Philippians 1:1

In other words, you can’t frighten a Christian with Heaven. If we live, we live for Jesus, if we die we are going home. David Brannon took the Gospel to the First Nation people in America. He did his work in 29 years. At 29 years he died. Robert Murray McShane started a massive revival in Dundee, Scotland. He died at the age of 30.

Jim Elliott took the Gospel to the Amazon Jungle, he died at 28. Remember, he said (This was his favourite saying): “It is no fool that gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose. That's right! You can’t keep your life on this earth and make sure that you do not lose your life in Heaven.

Some folk are afraid to die. Remember, Jesus gives us the strength to live and He gives us the strength to die. He says:

I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5

And then I love this quotation by the Lord in Matthew 6:25:

“Don’t worry,” He says, “do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”

Today, go out and have a wonderful day. Enjoy the day that the Lord has given you and do what you can to help your fellow man.

Jesus bless you!
Goodbye.