Life Expectancy

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading today titled Life Expectancy was written by Kenneth Peterson. In 1990, French researchers had a computer problem, a data error when processing the age of Jean Calment. She was 115 years old, an age outside the parameters of the software program.

The programmers had assumed no one could possibly live that long. In fact, Jean lived until the age of 122. The author of Psalm 90 writes, Our days may come to 70 years, or 80, if our strength endures. This is a figurative way of saying that whatever age we live to, even to the age of Jean Calment, our lives on earth are indeed limited. Our lifetimes are in the sovereign hands of a loving God. In the spiritual realm, however, we're reminded of what, quote, God time really is. A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by. And in the person of Jesus Christ, life expectancy has been given a whole new meaning. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, says John 3.36.

Has is in the present tense. Right now, in our current physical moment of trouble and tears, our future is blessed and our lifespan is limitless. In this we rejoice, and with the psalmist pray, Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is taken from Psalm 90, verses 1 through 14. Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations, before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world.

From everlasting to everlasting, you are God. You turn people back to dust, saying, Return to dust, you mortals. A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death. They are like the new grass of the morning.

In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered. We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. All our days pass away under your wrath. We finish our years with a moan. Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty if our strength endures.

Yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass and we fly away. If only we knew the power of your anger. Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due. Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Relent, Lord, how long will it be?

Have compassion on your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Would you join with me in praying to our sovereign God? Loving Lord, thank you for sending your Son Jesus and redefining what life expectancy can mean for us. No matter how long our physical life may be, will you fill us with an expectancy and a hope of what it will be like to be with you in heaven forever. And it's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening to this word of hope today. My name is Wes Ward, and today's devotional was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.