9
If we live a hundred years, we have lived an unusually long time,
10
but compared with all eternity, those years are like a drop of water in the ocean, like a single grain of sand.
11
That is why the Lord is so patient with us, why he is so free with his mercy.
12
He looks at us and knows that we are doomed to die; that is why he is so willing to forgive us.
13
We can show compassion to someone we know, but the Lord shows compassion for all humanity. He corrects us; he disciplines us; he teaches us. Like a shepherd tending sheep, he brings us back to himself.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.