Our Days on the Earth Are as a Shadow, And
Our lives may be transitory, but they can be filled with divine purpose and leave a lasting impact on future generations.
F.B. Meyer reflects on the transient nature of human life, comparing it to shadows and fleeting moments, yet emphasizes that even brief lives can leave a lasting impact. He draws on the example of David and his contemporaries, who, despite their temporary existence, created works that endure through time. Meyer stresses the importance of allowing God to work within us, as true union with Christ leads to fruitful lives that can influence future generations. He encourages believers to seek divine guidance in their endeavors, ensuring that their works are meaningful and not a source of shame. Ultimately, he asserts that while we are pilgrims on earth, our lives can contribute to eternal legacies.
Text
Our days on the earth are as a shadow, and
there is no abiding. 1 Chron, xxix. 15. (R.V.).
ALL life has been compared to the shadow of a smoke‑wreath; a gesture in the invisible air; a hier‑oglyph traced for an instant on the sand, and effaced a moment after by a breath of wind; an air‑bubble vanishing on the river. Pilgrims and sojourners, as were all our fathers ‑‑ such is the universal confession. But even such may do a work that will last for ages. David and the men of his time, though transitory their stay on our planet, left behind them a standing evidence that they had been here.
Our life is nothing, but it may be divine: our days are as a breath, but they may affect unborn generations: the tent of the body is laid aside, but the soul, which had dwelt in it, is immortal in its touch: it leaves traces of its own immortality behind in its works, and it lives in them. In one sense, the answer to the ancient prayer is certain: "Establish Thou the works of our hands upon us." But we may well ask, that they may be such that we shall have no need to be ashamed of.
But, for this, God must live mightily within us. Abide in Me, said our Lord. . . . I have appointed you that ye may bring forth fruit, and that your fruit may abide. It is impossible to be in true union with Christ without feeling the pulse of his glorious life; and where it enters like a tidal river, it can have but one result ‑‑ it must manifest itself in fruit. It is only in proportion as our works are done in God, and God permeates our works, that they become sources of enduring blessing to coming time. Pilgrims though we be, yet, if our lives are spent before Him, we may build temples which will outlast the wreck of matter.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Life is Transitory
- Comparison to Shadows and Smoke
- Leaving a Lasting Legacy
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II
- Our Works Can Endure
- Establishing God's Works in Our Lives
- Fruit that Abides
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III
- Union with Christ
- Feeling God's Pulse in Our Lives
- Manifesting God's Life in Our Works
Key Quotes
“Our life is nothing, but it may be divine: our days are as a breath, but they may affect unborn generations.” — F.B. Meyer
“It is impossible to be in true union with Christ without feeling the pulse of his glorious life;” — F.B. Meyer
“It is only in proportion as our works are done in God, and God permeates our works, that they become sources of enduring blessing to coming time.” — F.B. Meyer
Application Points
- We must live our lives in a way that honors God and allows Him to work through us.
- Our works should be done in God and should bring enduring blessing to future generations.
- Feeling God's pulse in our lives is a sign of true union with Christ and the manifestation of His life in our works.