I said to myself, “I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me.” But as I stood there in silence — not even speaking of good things — the turmoil within me grew worse.
The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words: “LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days on earth are numbered — how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you. Rescue me from rebellion. . . . Psalm 39:1-8 NLT
David is described in the Bible as “a man after God’s own heart.” David had a very close relationship with God. The anointing of God upon his life was so strong that he killed Goliath the giant with a single shot from his sling when all the armies of Israel were running away in fear. David was handpicked by God to succeed Saul as the king of Israel. David was an incredible warrior and military genius. He was also an accomplished musician and songwriter. He was also incredibly wealthy. David was a very blessed man by all accounts.
But, through the Scriptures, we also see David as a struggling, imperfect and reflective man who took time to reflect over how fragile life was. David took time to reflect on his humanity and the numerous challenges of life. In the above passage, as David watched the activities of the ungodly around him, he was tempted to castigate them with his words. But as he stood and watched, he turned his thoughts to his own life.
He asked God to remind him of: How brief his life on earth was; the limited number of days he had to live; how fleeting life really was; how his life was but a moment before God, just like a breath!
David asked God to remind him that our lives as humans are like moving shadows and that all our busy rushing around ends in nothing. Even the wealth we work so hard to acquire might end up in someone else’s hand. We have no idea who might end up spending all the wealth we have labored for at great expense, sometimes to our very health!
And so David concludes: “Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is you. Rescue me from my rebellion.”
Every hurricane season, we see heart-wrenching devastation of property and lives in various places. Houses, lives, and even whole communities are wiped away in a matter of hours. During the summer, we also see devastating fires melting away houses and businesses. This is always a painful reminder that life is fleeting and wealth is uncertain.
Truly, our hope can be in nothing and no one else but God. And so where should we put our hope? Our hope should be in God alone.
Prayer: Father, I thank you for the reminder that life is fleeting and wealth is uncertain. Please help me to put my hope in nothing and no one but you alone. Amen.
