75.8
10As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years or due to struggle eighty years.
- Psalms 90:10;12
12so teach us to number our days that we may present to thee a heart of wisdom.
Three thousand years ago David said that a person's lifespan was about seventy or eighty years. After countless advances in medical technology, doctors tell us that our average lifespan is 75.8 years. These figures teach us a couple of interesting lessons no matter what our age is:
1. God's Still in Charge
Man has tried to manipulate life, tried with all his might to lengthen it but to no avail. In the end, God is still in charge and we cannot change the border He has placed around the length of our lives.
2. Life is Short for a Reason
Our short lives should be a constant reminder that we must be prepared for death. If we lived a thousand years it would be easy to ignore this fact. But a brief life should keep us continually prepared to face the Lord in judgment.
3. Don't Waste Your Time
David says that we need to "count the days" we have left and make the most of them. He doesn't mean to take advantage of this world and its pleasures. He's encouraging us to make the most of the time we have to assure our place with God in heaven.
Do the math. Subtract your age from 75.8 and see how much time you've got on average. It may be a little or a lot, make sure you use it wisely in the Lord. If you don't make time for Him now, He won't make time for you later.