“The LORD is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge…LORD, what are human beings that you care for them, mere mortals that you think of them? They are like A BREATH; their days are like a FLEETING SHADOW.” (Psa. 144:1-4) Imagine with me, A LINE that represents God’s time, that is infinitely long. The time of earth from the creation, “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.” (Gen. 1:2-3) To the end of all things when the new heaven comes down, “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, COMING DOWN OUT OF HEAVEN from God, prepared as a BRIDE ADORNED FOR HER HUSBAND.” (Rev. 21:1-2)
The time from the BEGINNING TO THE END of our time on earth would be a LITTLE DOT (.) on the infinitely long line of eternity. Then, our lives would be a very small spec on that little dot. That’s what David means when he says “They are like A BREATH; their days are like a FLEETING SHADOW” or James says, “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For WHAT IS YOUR LIFE? It is even A VAPOR THAT APPEARS FOR A LITTLE TIME and then VANISHES AWAY.” (Jam. 4:13-14)
That is what prompted David to say, “what are human beings that you care for them…” What is God’s response to this? “…God SO LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should NOT PERISH but have EVERLASTING LIFE. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him MIGHT BE SAVED.” (John 3:16-17)
-Bill Stockham