Me and my 4-inch life

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand” (Psalm 39:4-5).

So I grab a ruler on my desk—yep, 4 inches.
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Mt. Everest is 348,348 inches tall. The Empire State Building stands 17,448 inches. And then, there’s the deepest part of the ocean—434,400 inches.

If my life is “no longer than the width of my hand,” then my life is but a breeze.

Maybe that’s why David continues to write, “My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath” (V. 5).

Now, it’s important to understand what David means. He isn’t describing his life as insignificant; rather, he is saying just how small his earthly life is. In other words, David realizes a beautiful concept: “For I am your [God’s] guest—a traveler passing through, as my ancestors were before me” (V. 12). David’s not home quite yet. He knows there’s more to come.

God’s children are instructed to live for eternity, not this 4-inch life. Philippians 1:27 says, “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ…”
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If life on earth was the end all be all, think about how insignificant you would be.

But then, there’s eternity, and it’s infinity inches. Considering the smallness of our earthly lives, struggles are nanometers. In other words, the illness is a nanometer. The financial issue is a nanometer. The shattered relationship is a nanometer. The loneliness is a nanometer. Any hurt, pain, thorn, or thicket is a very insignificant part of our lives.

But we live as if the issues mean so much more. We trudge around defeated because of a dreaded responsibility. We hit snooze three times because we despise the stress. We walk through life without joy, forging a fake smile. We give up on our faith, turn against our family, and trust ungodly endeavors to fulfill our broken hearts. All because of little nanometers in our infinite lives.

This is a perspective the enemy never wants you to grasp. His goal is to get your mind overly focused on your tiny problem. He wants your eyes to see Mt. Everest instead of your hand. Satan’s goal is to surround you with an insignificant issue and make it seem like it rules your life.

As a result, so many people live in bondage—surrounded by fences of hopelessness. After all, the enemy wants you to feel as if there’s no way out of your situation. Because of this limited perspective, people cannot see the true size of their circumstances.

True freedom cannot co-exist with Satan’s lies—at least, when you believe them. But God wants you to live a spacious life. “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17).

Life is short…never forget it. Because our lives are only 4 inches, we may as well begin living in the freedom of God’s eternity. Who said Heaven can’t come to earth?