Psalm 103 Devotionals: vv. 15-16

As for man, his days are like grass;

he flourishes like a flower of the field;

for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

and its place knows it no more.

Psalm 103:15-16

In verse 14, the psalmist reminds us that we are made of dust, and when we die our bodies will return to dust again. In verses 15 and 16, the thought continues with another metaphor expressing the flow of life on this earth and its brevity. Man lives and flourishes for a time and then dies, and the world no longer remembers him. Life on earth as a mortal will come to an end. This is a universal truth, and no one is exempt from this reality. That which comes upon death will be determined by whether or not we are members of the family of God. Heavenly life is the destination of the believer, and there life with God will never end. No sin, sickness, or anything else can disrupt the perfect bliss we experience in the eternal presence of God.

In light of this, Jesus commands his followers to refrain from the consuming desire to store up earthly treasures that will rust, decay, or be stolen. Instead, they should store up treasures in heaven (Matt 6:19-20). This reminds us that this present world under the curse is not our eternal home. However, while we are here, we are on assignment from God to share the Gospel and serve others. Leading people to God blesses His Name and adds another saint to the richness of heaven.

In contrast to our present bodies which will pass away after a short time, another promise given in Scripture is that we will receive a new heavenly body. Christ will transform our lowly body into a glorious body like his (Phil 3:21). I am looking forward to having a body loosened from disability. With my mouth healed, I will be able to sing out my praise to God in worship. I stand with the apostle Paul, who accepted his thorn in the flesh while looking forward to being away from his earthly body and at home with the Lord, including a perfect body in the eternal state (2 Cor 5:6).

The psalmist is not trying to arouse melancholy and break up this psalm of praise. The believer lives on this earth for Christ, but when we die—and we will die—it will be gain. We will leave behind sickness, weakness, and sin. We will gain everlasting life without sin or the consequences of sin. The prospect of death should sober us while we are living. Yet, do we live with joy daily in grand anticipation of the life to come? As we have learned, we worship a loving, compassionate Father (v. 13), who forgives iniquity (v. 3) and satisfies us with good (v. 5). He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (v. 8). Death no longer has its sting, because God no longer deals with us according to our sins nor does He repay us for our iniquities (v. 10). In Christ we have a blessed hope for the future, and we have assurance because of God’s faithfulness throughout all generations (v. 7). May you trust Him and His promises today.

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