Man does not remain

Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever, Their dwelling places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man, though in honour, does not remain; He is like the beasts that perish. – Psalm 49.11-12

Man tends to think that he is going to last forever. He lives like his houses will last forever. That is where his faith is. Man thinks that his cities and countries and empires will never fall. He names his lands after himself.

But man, even though he honours himself and is honoured for a time, will not last forever. He will not remain on earth forever. In that regard he is no better than the animals.

No one, no matter how famous or powerful or strong or rich or popular, is going to last forever. Our life is like a vapour that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. We are like the flowers that bloom in the morning and then are burned off by the sun.

Our life is not forever. The worst part is that none of us have any idea how long we are going to be here. Any of us could be killed in a car crash tomorrow morning. We could be struck down with a heart attack. Innocent people die unexpectedly every single day.

Man does not remain. Men do not remain. We had better keep eternity in mind.