Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You; certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Surely every man walks about like a shadow; surely they busy themselves in vain; he heaps up riches, and does not know who will gather them. And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.
   Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God. You turn men back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men." For a thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning - though in the morning it springs up new, 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. The length of our days is seventy years - or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? For Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due You. Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
   For, "all men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. And this is what He promised us - even eternal life. [Jesus said:] "I tell you the truth, if a man keeps My word, He will never see death."
   Now we can come fearlessly right into God's presence, assured of His glad welcome when we come with Christ and trust in Him. With God's power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of.

Taken from Ps. 39, 90, I Pt. 1, I Jn. 2, Jn. 8, Eph. 3, The New King James,
The New International Version, The Living Bible and The Everyday Bible.
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