LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.
It is a prayer asking God to show the end and the bounded measure of days, so that the shortness and frailty of human life may be known. That knowledge is worth seeking, for it turns the mind from self to mortality and need and brings humility before God rather than pride or confidence in self. It teaches dependence on God and on Christ, to whom all is owed, instead of boasting in human strength, glory, hope, and nobility. To acknowledge this mortal, perishing condition is to recognize dependence on Jesus Christ for eternal life. Because life passes quickly, knowing its brief measure calls for sober reflection, readiness to die, and planning in view of life's brevity, the approaching close of probation, and the enduring worth of God's righteousness above temporary wealth.
Prayer and Its Setting
The verse is a prayer asking God to make known one's end and the measure of days, what it is, so that the shortness, limit, and bounded frailty of human life may be recognized. It is a fitting prayer for mortals to ask God to make the limits of life clear and to face the final outcome and what the end will be. Knowing the limit of days in this way teaches frailty rather than confidence in self.
That knowledge of the measure of days and of how frail one is is worth seeking. It is Spirit-guided self-examination, turning from thoughts of self to awareness of mortality and need, not a claim to religious standing.
The verse belongs to a prophetic portrayal of Christ's inner experience in struggles with temptation and suffering, giving insight into feelings not fully seen in the outward account of His life. Paired with Psalm 39:11, it expresses fear that sickness and pain have made the speaker so weak that he may never rise again.
It can also voice a soul facing the loss of life who pleads for life to stay, because she does not know what will become of her after life departs, has made no preparation for the future, and loves this present life and is afraid to let it go. It is a prayer to learn the science of numbering from Christ, the Wonderful Numberer who numbers hairs and stars and steps. The prayer is urgent because before long God will number and finish each life history, and it calls for learning from the whole Bible and especially from Numbers the conditions necessary to be numbered with the host of Israel when the final census is made.
Humility and Dependence on Christ
The verse is a fitting prayer for mortals, asking to know the end and the measure of days in order to know how frail they are. Knowing the limit of one's days teaches human frailty and humility before God and dependence on God and on Christ, to whom all is owed. That dependence stands against pride and confidence in self, against finding hope and nobility in oneself and against boasting in one's own strength and glory. To acknowledge mortality in this way is to recognize that human life is brief and fragile, that people are mortal and perishing, and that they are dependent on Jesus Christ for eternal life.
Knowing frailty and the limits of human life in this prayer leads to humility before God. The prayer is answered when the Holy Spirit reveals a person's sin and true character. That revealing brings awareness of personal unworthiness, so that even after a long life of Christian service a person sees failures and has no ground for boasting.
Preparation for Death and Judgment
Life passes quickly, and knowing the brief measure of days helps recognize human frailty. That knowledge calls for sober reflection, for human life is brief and its measure limited, and knowing the end and frailty of life confronts the mind with serious thought. The proper response is to be prepared to die.
The awareness of a limited lifespan and of frailty becomes a reason to plan life in view of brevity. Such planning looks to the approaching close of probation. It chooses the enduring value of God's righteousness rather than temporary wealth.
The prayer is a fitting funeral discourse at the death of a devoted, commandment-keeping believer. It sets forth how frail humans are and how short and bounded life is and what its end is. It belongs especially where trust in God has held through long and severe suffering. There it comforts Christian family and friends with hope of meeting again on the great day when there will be no more partings. The same recognition of the limit, brevity, and frailty of human life applies at funerals and in the setting of death. It was used at the burial of a woman laid to rest awaiting the coming of the Life-giver.
It is a prayer asking God to show the end and the bounded measure of days, so that the shortness and frailty of human life may be known. That knowledge is worth seeking, for it turns the mind from self to mortality and need and brings humility before God rather than pride or confidence in self. It teaches dependence on God and on Christ, to whom all is owed, instead of boasting in human strength, glory, hope, and nobility. To acknowledge this mortal, perishing condition is to recognize dependence on Jesus Christ for eternal life. Because life passes quickly, knowing its brief measure calls for sober reflection, readiness to die, and planning in view of life's brevity, the approaching close of probation, and the enduring worth of God's righteousness above temporary wealth.
Prayer and Its Setting
The verse is a prayer asking God to make known one's end and the measure of days, what it is, so that the shortness, limit, and bounded frailty of human life may be recognized. It is a fitting prayer for mortals to ask God to make the limits of life clear and to face the final outcome and what the end will be. Knowing the limit of days in this way teaches frailty rather than confidence in self.
That knowledge of the measure of days and of how frail one is is worth seeking. It is Spirit-guided self-examination, turning from thoughts of self to awareness of mortality and need, not a claim to religious standing.
The verse belongs to a prophetic portrayal of Christ's inner experience in struggles with temptation and suffering, giving insight into feelings not fully seen in the outward account of His life. Paired with Psalm 39:11, it expresses fear that sickness and pain have made the speaker so weak that he may never rise again.
It can also voice a soul facing the loss of life who pleads for life to stay, because she does not know what will become of her after life departs, has made no preparation for the future, and loves this present life and is afraid to let it go. It is a prayer to learn the science of numbering from Christ, the Wonderful Numberer who numbers hairs and stars and steps. The prayer is urgent because before long God will number and finish each life history, and it calls for learning from the whole Bible and especially from Numbers the conditions necessary to be numbered with the host of Israel when the final census is made.
Humility and Dependence on Christ
The verse is a fitting prayer for mortals, asking to know the end and the measure of days in order to know how frail they are. Knowing the limit of one's days teaches human frailty and humility before God and dependence on God and on Christ, to whom all is owed. That dependence stands against pride and confidence in self, against finding hope and nobility in oneself and against boasting in one's own strength and glory. To acknowledge mortality in this way is to recognize that human life is brief and fragile, that people are mortal and perishing, and that they are dependent on Jesus Christ for eternal life.
Knowing frailty and the limits of human life in this prayer leads to humility before God. The prayer is answered when the Holy Spirit reveals a person's sin and true character. That revealing brings awareness of personal unworthiness, so that even after a long life of Christian service a person sees failures and has no ground for boasting.
Preparation for Death and Judgment
Life passes quickly, and knowing the brief measure of days helps recognize human frailty. That knowledge calls for sober reflection, for human life is brief and its measure limited, and knowing the end and frailty of life confronts the mind with serious thought. The proper response is to be prepared to die.
The awareness of a limited lifespan and of frailty becomes a reason to plan life in view of brevity. Such planning looks to the approaching close of probation. It chooses the enduring value of God's righteousness rather than temporary wealth.
The prayer is a fitting funeral discourse at the death of a devoted, commandment-keeping believer. It sets forth how frail humans are and how short and bounded life is and what its end is. It belongs especially where trust in God has held through long and severe suffering. There it comforts Christian family and friends with hope of meeting again on the great day when there will be no more partings. The same recognition of the limit, brevity, and frailty of human life applies at funerals and in the setting of death. It was used at the burial of a woman laid to rest awaiting the coming of the Life-giver.