Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭39‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

David had everything. As such, he had everything to lose.

But this psalm preoccupies his thoughts with questions on his breadth and length of life and the fact we all know and understand as we age: that this life is but a fleeting existence.

Waxing philosophical is a telltale feature of our final years when the bigger picture significantly outweighs the smaller.

The things—wealth, influence, power—wane in importance when the inevitable end comes into view.

But “fleeting” is movement away from one existence and on to another.

David had every opportunity to mourn the loss of all his riches and achievements yet chooses here to inquire of the promised next steps.

Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be. “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭39‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Life is short.
Don’t get caught up in measures along the way that distract you from the inevitable end which realizes your hope and begins your eternity.