If He should set His heart to it and gather to Himself His spirit and His breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust (Job 34:14-15).
We're confronted with the fragility of life here. If God were to simply gather His breath to Himself, life as we know it would cease in an instant.
Should He choose, the Earth would again become void and desolate. Job's book humbles us. Because we can't escape the undisputed sovereignty of our Creator who spoke life into existence and can speak it out of existence whenever He chooses.
We have no claim to life–no right to expect it. Only God has the authority to give life...and withdraw it. What grounds do we have for complaining if we should endure suffering while we are here? His "grace is sufficient" for each one of us (2 Cor. 12:9).
These verses tell us quite literally that every breath we take is a courtesy of Christ. Because He "upholds all things by the word of His power" and "in Him all things hold together" and "consist" (Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:17).
Some of us are given more time than others, but each of us must make the most of the time we're given!
Is it any wonder that He tells His People to "redeem the time"? (Col. 4:5) Is it any wonder that He calls "all men everywhere to repent"? (Acts 17:30)
"In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind" (Job. 12:10).