Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Afflictions, Prayer During » That we may be taught the uncertainty of life
“Lord, let me know my [life’s] end
And [to appreciate] the extent of my days;
Let me know how frail I am [how transient is my stay here].
death » Preparation for
If you address as Father, the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in [reverent] fear [of Him] and with profound respect for Him throughout the time of your stay on earth.
“Lord, let me know my [life’s] end
And [to appreciate] the extent of my days;
Let me know how frail I am [how transient is my stay here].
In those days [when Sennacherib first invaded Judah] Hezekiah became deathly ill. The prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not recover.’”
[There is no exemption,] but whoever is joined with all the living, has hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion.
If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. So then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
For to me, to live is Christ [He is my source of joy, my reason to live] and to die is gain [for I will be with Him in eternity].
For here we have no lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
“O that they were wise, that they understood this,
That they could discern their future and ultimate fate!
“O look away from me, that I may smile and again know joy
Before I depart and am no more.”
So teach us to number our days,
That we may cultivate and bring to You a heart of wisdom.
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) where you are going.
Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun. Yes, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all; yet let him [seriously] remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. All that comes is vanity (emptiness, falsity, vainglory, and futility)!
For Sheol (the place of the dead) cannot confess and reach out the hand to You, death cannot praise and rejoice in You; they who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness [to Your promises; their probation is at an end, their destiny is sealed]. The living, the living -- "they shall thank and praise You, as I do this day; the father shall make known to the children Your faithfulness and Your truth.
Keep your loins girded and your lamps burning, And be like men who are waiting for their master to return home from the marriage feast, so that when he returns from the wedding and comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately. Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are those servants whom the master finds awake and alert and watching when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will gird himself and have them recline at table and will come and serve them!
Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and we will do this or that.”
natural Death » Pray to be prepared for
“Lord, let me know my [life’s] end
And [to appreciate] the extent of my days;
Let me know how frail I am [how transient is my stay here].
So teach us to number our days,
That we may cultivate and bring to You a heart of wisdom.
Measures » Illustrative » (the measure of our days,) of the shortness of life
“Lord, let me know my [life’s] end
And [to appreciate] the extent of my days;
Let me know how frail I am [how transient is my stay here].