21 Aug, 2008
Life is but a breath!
More than 150 people are feared dead after a passenger plane swerved off the runway at Madrid's Barajas airport.
Nineteen people survived the crash but some are in critical condition, said Development Minister Magdalena Alvarez.
The Spanair flight had just taken off for the Canary Islands at about 2:20pm local time with 172 people on board. It is thought the left engine caught fire.
Helicopters were called in to dump water onto the burning plane, and more than 70 ambulances attended the scene.TV footage showed several people being carried away on stretchers.
The BBC's Steve Kingstone, in Madrid, said a grim line of emergency vehicles obscured the view of the crash scene.
photo & story courtesy bbc.com, 08/20/08
Psalm 39:4-5
4 “O Lord, make me know my end
and what is the measure of my days;
let me know how fleeting I am!
5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah (ESV)
What does today's God's Story teach us about the length of our lives?
It sure seems that David, the writer, was going through an emotional time in his life when he wrote this psalm. Only God knew what was really going on inside David's heart, but we do know this:
- God's Spirit was directing King David to write these holy scriptures for God's glory and for the benefit of all future readers.
- David lived a life of both mountain top and deep valley experiences. He knew first hand the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. God brought him to the place where he understood the temporary in light of the eternal - the earthly in comparison to the heavenly.
Compared to eternity, life is short no matter how long we live. It was especially short for some of the passengers who have died as a result of that horrible plane crash in Madrid.
You're either a student or someone who is pretty young at heart. If you died tomorrow, others would say your life was too short. When an 85-year-old person dies, his or her life doesn't seem short, but compared to eternity, even their life was but a breath.
If you knew that your 'hourglass' of time would run out in six months, what would you do?
If there is something important you want to do, don't wait. If there is someone who needs to hear that you forgive them or love them, don't put it off. If there is a change that is needed in your spiritual life, trust God now. If there is someone you need to talk to about Jesus, do you really want to wait for a better day?
Life is short - do what is really important in light of eternity!
- Thank God for having the perfect plan for your life, no matter how long or short it may be from an earthly human perspective. Ask His Spirit to give you God's eternal perspective every day. Ask His Spirit to give you the discipline you need to do what is really important.
- Memorize Psalm 39:4 as a reminder to see life from God's perspective.
- For one month, make a "to do" list at the beginning of every week. Then prioritize it as you ask God to show you what is really important.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story and our story to others?
- Pray for comfort for the family and friends of the passenger killed in the plane crash and for people to be drawn to Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Do you have someone in your 'storysphere' who is close to understanding that the greatest part of God's Story is that He sent Jesus to be our Savior? Invite them over to talk. Tell your friend about how the Madrid plane crash has impacted you. Ask your friend to share his or her perspective on life after death. Share today's scripture found in Psalm 39:4-5 and what it means to you. Take out an old board game that has an hourglass as a timer. Turn it over and watch the sand (time) run out. Ask your friend how they think the two of you can apply what you are seeing?
- November 2008 [13]
- October 2008 [22]
- September 2008 [22]
- August 2008 [19]
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- June 2008 [13]
- May 2008 [20]
- April 2008 [22]
- March 2008 [21]
- February 2008 [19]
- January 2008 [20]
- December 2007 [19]
- November 2007 [16]
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- September 2007 [18]
- August 2007 [12]
- July 2007 [12]
- June 2007 [10]
- May 2007 [12]
- April 2007 [10]
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- December 2006 [4]
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- June 2006 [3]
