Precious and Fragile
Life is precious and fragile, but God’s grace is sufficient in every weakness. Discover hope for numbering your days. Fifty years ago, God blessed me with a friendship that has shaped how I see every day since. Betty—affectionately known to us as Maude—was the mother of a dear friend of ours. She lived with type 1 diabetes from the age of ten and was one of Eli Lilly’s original clinical trial patients for insulin. She passed from this life in 2012 at the age of ninety-one.
When my father passed away in 1992, Betty wrote me a note I have carried in my heart ever since. She said that moments like these remind us how precious life is… and yet how very fragile. Those simple words brought me comfort then, and I have returned to them on every similar occasion since. Today I want to share why.
Subscribe to DevotionsDoneDaily
https://devotionsdonedaily.com/subscribe/
The cost is zero…the value is priceless and eternal.
Opening Worship Song
To set our hearts toward heaven, today’s opening song is “Precious Memories,” sung by Tennessee Ernie Ford. Its gentle reminder of God’s faithfulness through the years fits perfectly with what Betty’s words taught me long ago.
Scripture Focus
Scripture speaks plainly about how brief our days on earth truly are, and how wise it is to number them well.
James 4:14 (ESV)
Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”
Psalm 90:12 (ESV)
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV)
But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Psalm 73:25-26 (ESV)
“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Isaiah 55:6 (ESV)
“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.”
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Together, these verses paint a clear picture. Our days are short, but God’s grace is not. Let’s look at what that means for how we live.
Life Application
Life’s Passing Seasons
I will soon turn seventy-five. The days seem to pass more quickly the older I get. I often joke that life is like a roll of toilet paper—it goes faster the nearer you get to the end. It’s a silly comparison, but there’s truth in it. Consequently, Psalm 90:12 asks God to teach us to number our days, not so we can dread them, but so we can live them with wisdom and purpose.
The Weekly Organ Recital
My musically talented friend Brice, from South Carolina, once observed that when people our age get together, we always start with an “organ recital.” The first thirty minutes are spent reciting what’s going wrong with our organs. Lately, there have been many such recitals among my circle of friends. Bill in Texas is facing bladder cancer. Phil in Michigan was hospitalized after a leg wound turned septic. Michael, ninety-one, is living with Parkinson’s and recently fell, breaking several ribs. Dan survived a heart attack, saved just in time by stents. Glen, Harry, Becky, and Vince have each entered eternal life.
Every Trial, a Glimpse of God
Each of these friends has said, in one way or another, that suffering has helped them see life more clearly. Life becomes more precious as we grow aware of how fragile it is. I believe God often allows hardship to slow us down so we can focus on what matters most—our relationship with Him. He has a way of bringing many of us to our knees, and I am grateful for every time He has brought me to mine. Over the years I have faced severe heart disease, quadruple bypass surgery, stage 4 kidney cancer, more than thirty kidney stones, a stroke, eleven years of left-side paralysis, type 2 diabetes, and stage 3 renal failure. But enough about me…
When God Is All You Have
On each of these occasions, I have discovered the same truth: when God is all you have, God is all you need. Paul learned this too. He boasted in his weaknesses so that Christ’s power could rest on him. Likewise, the psalmist declared that even when flesh and heart fail, God remains the strength of his heart and his portion forever. Therefore, may you be blessed to find the Lord before you need Him. I did, and I am forever grateful.
A Word From Charles Spurgeon
Charles Spurgeon once wrote that he had learned to kiss the wave that threw him against the Rock of Ages. In other words, even our hardest trials can press us closer to Christ rather than drive us away from Him. That has certainly been true in my own life.
A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of every single day. Life is fleeting, but You are eternal, and Your grace never runs out. When my flesh and heart fail, be the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Teach me to number my days so that I live them with wisdom, gratitude, and love for You. For the friends who are hurting today, draw them close and let them feel Your presence in their weakness. We ask this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
Closing Worship Song
We close today with “Jordan,” featuring Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Ricky Skaggs, Mo Pitney, and Mark Fain. Its picture of crossing over into glory fits beautifully with today’s reminder that our earthly life, though fragile, leads us home to Christ.
Subscribe to DevotionsDoneDaily
https://devotionsdonedaily.com/subscribe/
The cost is zero…the value is priceless and eternal.
If today’s devotion encouraged you, please share it with a family member or friend who may need a reminder of just how precious—and fragile—life truly is.
Acknowledgments
We thank:
- Pixabay for free, high-quality artwork.
- AZ Quotes for inspirational quotations.
- YouTube Gospel Music for timeless worship songs.
- We recommend GotQuestions.org for further Bible study.
Have a wonderful day and keep your eyes on Jesus and your spirits high.
Bill