Psalm 39

Our smallness – God’s “Largeness”

Life is so short and goes by so quickly, how can we make the most of it? However many years God gives us, we want to make them count.  Right?  But, how?  

For Wisdom and Forgiveness,  A Psalm of David

 1 I said, “I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue—

    I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle while the wicked are in my presence.”

 2  I was mute and silent, I refrained even from good, and my sorrow grew worse.

 3  My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned—

    Then I spoke with my tongue:
                       4 “Lord, make me to know my end
                  And what is the extent of my days—
                 Let me know how transient I am.
                      5 “Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths,
                 And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight—
                Surely every man at his best is a mere breath.    Selah 

6  “Surely every man walks about as a  phantom—

    Surely they make uproar for nothing; He amasses riches and does not know who will take them. 

 7  “And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You.

 8  “Deliver me from all my transgressions; make me not the reproach of the foolish.

 9  “I have become mute, I do not open my mouth, because it is You who have done it.

 10  “Remove Your plague from me because of the opposition of Your hand I   am perishing.

 11  “With reproofs You chasten a man for iniquity—

     You consume as a moth what is precious to him; surely every man is a mere breath.   Selah 

 12  “Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry—You, a sojourner like all my fathers.

 We are as grass of the field, flourishing in the morning, but faded and gone by sundown… (Job 14:2; Ps. 90:5-6; Ps. 102:11; Isaiah 40:6-8; 1 Pet. 1:24   Because life is so short, to be lived meaningfully and productively, it must be lived for the Lord in light of eternity.  

 “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”  

We aren’t told what problem David is facing, but he is tormented with the severity of God’s discipline in view of the shortness and uncertainty of life.  

 Life is transient (39:4-6)  David is painfully aware of the shortness of life.  He asks God to not let him forget how transient he is.

 

Twice David says, “Surely every man at his best is a mere breath.”  [The word breath comes from a Hebrew word that is used 36 times in Ecclesiastes to mean vanity.] It refers to that which has no substance, or which is transitory and frail.  It is like your breath on a frosty day. You see it for a quick instant and then it is gone.  

David compares his short life to God in eternity:  “Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing in Your sight.”  

Life is transient in view of death.  Whatever we have done it all comes to nothing at death. We basically have two choices. Awe can live for ourselves… “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” Or, we can live for the Lord, which is the only option with any hope.  

Life must be lived for the Lord.  To live for the Lord means that I put all my hope in the Lord (39:7).  David writes, “And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You.”  To make the Lord and His promises your hope, you will never be disappointed. 

That’s easy to say and even easy to agree with. But in reality, even Christians can easily get caught up with the things of this world, rather than with the things of God. Other sincere Christians have been tainted by the world concerning the pursuit of pleasure. There is a proper place, of course, for these things.  We all need to take time to be refreshed and renewed.  How much is enough?  It is easy to let everyday life take precedence over the things of God. 

 

To live for the Lord—make holiness your desire (39:1-3, 8)

 “Deliver me from all my transgressions; make me not the reproach of the foolish.” The foolish are the godless. 

(1) Pursue holiness in speech (39:1-3)

(2). Pursue holiness in behavior (39:8) 

Jesus explained (Mark 7:21-23): “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” 

In Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”   Hunger and thirst are strong motivators for need.  Even God’s people often do not sense their intense need for holiness.  To be honest, he may be describing me. I don’t always hunger and thirst after righteousness.  If that describes you, how do you develop a hunger and thirst for righteousness?  

To live for the Lord means that I submit to His hand of discipline in my life (39:9-13)

God often uses trials to show us our lack of holiness. Trials should cause us to examine ourselves, to see what God may be trying to teach us.  The key to growing through His discipline is to submit to Him in it and to ask Him to help you learn the lessons He has for you in the trials (see Heb. 12:3-11).