Life Is Short, So Live It Well

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

Time’s Unsettling Question

If you knew you only had five years left to live, how would it change the way you live today? That question is both unsettling and strangely freeing. For those of us in our fifties, sixties, seventies, and beyond, it becomes more real with each passing year. A doctor’s report, the funeral of a friend, a child’s wedding, and suddenly, the brevity of life is no longer an abstraction but an undeniable reality.

Scripture doesn’t invite us to ignore this truth but to embrace it. Psalm 90, written by Moses, confronts us with the shortness of life: “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty… they are soon gone, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10). Yet this psalm is not despairing. It’s a prayer for wisdom. “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Awareness of life’s brevity, far from morbid, is the doorway to wisdom.

Mist and Eternity

James echoes this perspective: “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). Sobering words indeed. But again, James isn’t trying to paralyze us with fear; he’s freeing us from illusions of self-sufficiency. We aren’t sovereign over tomorrow. Only God is.

Jesus himself reinforced this truth in his Sermon on the Mount: “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34). Instead of clinging to tomorrow, Christ calls us to seek first his Kingdom today. Numbering our days doesn’t shrink life; it expands it with eternal meaning.

Wisdom in a Culture of Denial

We live in a society determined to deny aging and death. From anti-aging creams to endless distractions, our culture whispers: “Don’t think about time; pretend it doesn’t exist.” But ignoring time doesn’t make it longer. The Bible, in contrast, dignifies us by telling the truth. Life is short, but that makes each day infinitely valuable.

For Christians, numbering our days is not about despair but direction. It means stewarding the time we’re given in ways that honor Christ. Paul urges us in Ephesians 5:15–16: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” To live wisely is to live deliberately, not drifting or wasting our short allotment of years.

Living with Eternal Perspective

Numbering our days redirects us toward what truly matters:

• Growing in Christlikeness
• Loving others sacrificially
• Passing on wisdom and faith to the next generation
• Preparing our hearts for eternity with Christ

Even in our later years, the potential for growth, purpose, and deeper devotion remains ever-present. Indeed, we’re never beyond the reach of God’s calling or too late to invest in eternal things. The brevity of life calls us to reorder our priorities, simplify our schedules, and devote our time to what truly lasts, the glory of God and the well-being of others.

The Lord’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). Each day we wake is a fresh opportunity to live wisely, gratefully, and purposefully.

Key Principle

The brevity of life is not meant to frighten us, but to free us, to number our days rightly, live with wisdom, and invest in what will last forever.

Bible Study Questions

1. What does it mean to “number our days” according to Psalm 90:12, and why does this lead to wisdom?
2. How does Psalm 90:10’s view of human life compare to James 4:14?
3. Why do you think our culture is so determined to avoid thinking about aging and death? How does Scripture’s honesty bring freedom?
4. How does Jesus’ command in Matthew 6:33-34 help us respond rightly to the brevity of life?
5. What does Ephesians 5:15-16 teach about the wise use of time in an evil age?
6. How does numbering our days keep us from wasting life on trivial pursuits?
7. What eternal investments can we make in our families, churches, and communities? (Consider Deut. 6:6-7; 2 Tim. 2:2.)
8. How does God’s daily mercy (Lam. 3:22–23) encourage us to live each day purposefully?
9. Compare the prayer of Moses in Psalm 90 with the prayers of Paul in the New Testament (e.g., Col. 1:9-12). How do both emphasize wisdom?
10. How does numbering our days lead us to long for eternity with Christ (2 Cor. 4:16-18)?

Questions for Discussion & Personal Reflection

1. How often do you consciously think about the brevity of life? Does it bring you fear, gratitude, or both?
2. What illusions about time have you been tempted to believe, and how does God’s Word correct them?
3. How might numbering your days re-shape the way you spend your mornings and evenings?
4. What priorities in your life need reordering in light of eternity?
5. What legacy of faith are you currently passing on to others, and what more could you do?
6. How might you savor ordinary daily moments as gifts from God rather than rushing past them?
7. If you knew you had only five years left, what one thing would you start (or stop) today?

Walking Points

1. Begin each morning this week by praying Psalm 90:12. Ask God to make you mindful of time and intentional with your day.
2. Take an hour to review your calendar and commitments. Mark which things serve eternal purposes and which are trivial. Make one change to realign your time with God’s priorities.
3. Write a letter, record a story, or set up a meeting with a younger believer to intentionally pass on some wisdom, testimony, or encouragement from your walk with Christ.

Meditation Verse & Prayer

Verse:

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

Prayer:

Lord, my days are in your hands. Teach me to see each one as a gift. Keep me from wasting the time you have entrusted to me, and instead help me to walk in wisdom, love, and eternal purpose. Let me live today in light of eternity, with gratitude and faith in you. Amen.

Ideas for Meditation:

• Write Psalm 90:12 on a sticky note and place it on your bathroom mirror.
• Repeat the verse slowly in prayer three times a day, morning, noon, and night.
• Share the verse with a family member or friend and talk about how you each want to live it out this week.

Thank you for joining me in reflecting on this Scripture today. Life is short, but it’s sacred. Let’s treasure each day and live with eternal perspective, so that our remaining years, whether many or few, will glorify Christ. If this devotion has encouraged you, please like, share, and subscribe so that others may be blessed as well. You can find more at Walking Points.