“man breathes his last, and where is he?”
Psalms 103:15 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
Psalms 90:5-6 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.
Isaiah 40:6-8 A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
James 1:10-11 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
Job 14:1-3 “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not.
Job 20:9 The eye that saw him will see him no more, nor will his place any more behold him.
1 Timothy 6:17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
James 4:14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
What do we strive for? What is it that we are trying to obtain? What is our end game? I imagine: some sort of recognition, enough money to live without worry, health, sound mind, known for some skill or accomplishment, beauty, know for something tangible that we own, know for something we have written or said…etc. When you think about this and the scripture above, how important is it really? All of the time we spend alive in this body is but a flower that blooms and then is gone. We have little wisdom understanding eternity (time without end) and this side of eternity (time with end). Do you think it is possible that our end game is only focused on this side of eternity? What should our end game focus be: honoring, glorifying, serving, following, obeying, proclaiming, believing, trusting, relying on, clinging to, loving, praising, worshiping, listening to, and meditating on, God. Our endgame should include wanting others to pass from death to life rather than death to judgement and damnation. Jesus Christ is our savior, redeemer, and is coming again to gather His own into forever presence with Him. I love the hymn that has a verse: Turn your eyes to Jesus, look full into His wonderful face, and the things of this world will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.