May 24, 2023 — Psalm 39

“I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.” So I remained utterly silent, not even saying anything good. But my anguish increased; my heart grew hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue: “Show me, LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. “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. Save me from all my transgressions; do not make me the scorn of fools. I was silent; I would not open my mouth, for you are the one who has done this. Remove your scourge from me; I am overcome by the blow of your hand. When you rebuke and discipline anyone for their sin, you consume their wealth like a moth —surely everyone is but a breath. “Hear my prayer, LORD, listen to my cry for help; do not be deaf to my weeping. I dwell with you as a foreigner, a stranger, as all my ancestors were. Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again before I depart and am no more.” Psalm 39

The psalmist says, “Show me Lord the number of my days.” We all have wondered from time to time what the length of our life will be. We look at the lines on our palms wondering if they have something to say — though not seriously. But for sure, if we had some concept of how much time we have left on this earth, would it change how we view the world? After all, we have certain things that we think about evil, about crime, about how the wicked seem to prosper and the good suffer. So, if we knew we only had another year, would we spend more time fighting evil rather than saying “I just don’t have the interest or the time?” And, do we really feel as if “G-d is capricious and doesn’t really care?”

The psalmist comments on the capriciousness of life. If you think about it, we are just a puff of smoke in this universe, and all that we do is quite pointless in the context of the eternity of the universe. We are all “but a breath…dwelling like foreigners”. “Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14)

So this psalm helps us face our inherent mortality. And it also makes us face a crucial spiritual question: Will I trust in G-d even though my life is a puff of smoke and I will eventually pass from this life? If we can embrace a trust in G-d, then–as Paul says–though we will all die, our death will lead to new life. Those who try to hold on to life will lose that battle no matter how long they struggle. But through the resurrection of Jesus, we too will live a new life.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, through your Son you taught us not to fear tomorrow but to commit our lives to your care. Withhold not your Spirit from us, but help us find a life of peace after these days of trouble; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.