God gives us a brief time here on planet earth. Because our life is so short, he calls us "a passing breeze."

But this little span of time we call a lifetime, though it's only a blip in the eyes of the eternal God, is a supremely valuable gift from him. That's because it's our "time of grace," the time God has given us so that the Holy Spirit has opportunities to call us to faith in Jesus, enlighten our hearts with the gospel, and gather us into the church.

And for God, there is no more highly valued goal than to see us in heaven, enjoying eternity in his presence.

This earthly life is the time we've been given to experience God's mercy and forgiveness in Christ. It's amazing -- but God does not immediately destroy us for our sins. He does not get anywhere close to as angry as he could.

All of us have experienced this. It's like the time when I put a big dent in the back of my Mom's car. Of course, I thought she would be furious. But instead, she wasn't very upset at all. Just the opposite! She was understanding and patient with me.

But far more importantly, all of us have experienced this with God, too. It's just as the Psalmist Asaph wrote:

"Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath. He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return" (Psalm 78:38-39, NIV).

Lord, thank you for the mercy and grace you show me every day. Remind me that I am but a "passing breeze" and to wisely use every day to draw close to your word, so that your Holy Spirit will draw me close to Jesus.

Our Bible reading for Sunday, June 28, is 1 Kings 20:1 - 21:29, Acts 18:9 - 19:13 and Psalm 78:32-39.

Header image based on "Catch the Breeze" by Duncan Harris, CC By 2.0