Psalms 39:4 ⁴ “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.

 Have you ever thought about how it would be if you knew the exact day that you were going to die?  It is quite sobering isn’t it?

Just think about it if you knew the exact day and moment that your life was going to end on this earth and you were going to step into eternity; how different would you live your life.  Think about all the things that you would do now knowing that the end is coming.  Think about all the kind deeds you would do that you have been planning on doing when you got the time.  Would you now be saying all those things to your family, friends and others that you thought about saying but just never did?  Would you be telling your family how much you loved them and would you be not only saying it but showing them also?

I have always said each time I officiate over a funeral, “death has a way of bringing reality to life.”   When a family member or close loved one passes away it just life to a realization that you don’t see in just everyday living.  It shows us just how short life can be and the fact that we don’t know when we will leave this world.  Listen to what the Psalmist said ⁵ You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Each man’s life is but a breath. Selah ⁶ Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.

Here is the thing, we know that we are not going to live forever here on this earth and that means we only have a certain amount of time to live our lives here on this earth, we have only a brief time to love those around us and to show kindness to others.  We only have this time to live our lives for God here and to show the world who Jesus is.  We don’t need to waste our days do we, we need to make every moment worth something and especially to our families, we need to be doing things for them and with them that is going to continue to speak on in their lives after we are gone.  I am sure that Michael Jackson didn’t realize that his final moment was coming in his life and I would almost be sure that if he had he would have done many things different.

In Luke 16:19-31 there is the story of the Rich man and Lazarus, the rich man had everything in this life that anyone could want or so he thought.  Lazarus didn’t have much in this world, but he did know God obviously and when they both died, Lazarus went to heaven and the rich man went to hell.  In hell the rich man finally saw and realized that he missed it, that all that he had while in this world meant nothing now, he finally now was concerned about his family and he didn’t want them to come to the place that he was in.  He now faced eternity with a vivid realization of regrets and hopelessness.

My encouragement to you to day is to live your life with purpose and meaning.  Live life making every moment count knowing that just as the Psalmist said, our life is just a breath.  Remember this: Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. ⁴ Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. ⁵ Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: (Psalm 37:3-5)

Psalms 26:8 NIV  I love the house where you live, O LORD, the place where your glory dwells.

David had a great desire to be in the place where God’s presence dwelt.  We know that David was greatly concerned that he lived in a fine palace but God only had a tent to dwell in.  He wanted to built a house for God’s presence to dwell in.  Even though God didn’t let David build the temple, he did let him guide his young son Solomon in the building of the place where God’s presence would dwell.  The children of Israel place great importance on the Tabernacle because it represented God’s presence among them.

I know that God doesn’t dwell only in buildings and no where else, he now lives in each of us, each of us carries around the presence of God within us. 1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?  However, there is something special about coming together in the House of the Lord and worshipping together as the Body of Christ.  Many people say that they can worship God anywhere and this is true, but there is something that happens when we come together in one place and in unity that can happen no where else.

I have had people tell me that they don’t miss out on God when they don’t come to the House of the Lord; well I disagree I think you miss out greatly when you are not in the House of the Lord regularly.   The Bible says in Hebrews 10:25 NIV  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  It is hard to live the Christian life and not be a part of a local fellowship.  There is strength and joy that comes from worshiping together.  When we stay away from the House of the Lord we are isolating ourselves and anytime we isolate ourselves we are playing right into the Devil’s hand.  1 Peter 5:8 NIV  Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

 Don’t let the Devil convince you that staying at home or doing other things on the Lord’s Day is more important, have the heart of David and a desire to come together at the House of the Lord and expect His presence to be there and expect to receive something from the Lord as we worship together.