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July-22-0473-Living wisely in this brief life

July 22


473_Living wisely in this brief life

Psalm 39 I said, “I will guard my ways,
that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle,
so long as the wicked are in my presence.”
2 I was mute and silent;
I held my peace to no avail,
and my distress grew worse.
3 My heart became hot within me.
As I mused, the fire burned;
then I spoke with my tongue:

4 “O Lord, make me know my end
and what is the measure of my days;
let me know how fleeting I am!
5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah
6 Surely a man goes about as a shadow!
Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;
man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

7 “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in you.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions.
Do not make me the scorn of the fool!
9 I am mute; I do not open my mouth,
for it is you who have done it.
10 Remove your stroke from me;
I am spent by the hostility of your hand.
11 When you discipline a man
with rebukes for sin,
you consume like a moth what is dear to him;
surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah

12 “Hear my prayer, O Lord,
and give ear to my cry;
hold not your peace at my tears!
For I am a sojourner with you,
a guest, like all my fathers.
13 Look away from me, that I may smile again,
before I depart and am no more!”

A wealthy businessman was enjoying a leisurely vacation by the seaside when he spotted a fisherman lounging by his small boat. Curious, the businessman asked, “Why aren’t you out catching more fish?” The fisherman replied, “I’ve caught enough for today.” The businessman scoffed, “But if you fished more, you could earn more money, buy a bigger boat, catch even more fish, eventually own a fleet, and make a fortune.” The fisherman looked up calmly and asked, “Then what?” The businessman, caught off guard, stammered, “Well… then you can retire, relax, and enjoy life.” The fisherman smiled, “That’s exactly what I’m doing now.”

This simple story exposes a deep truth: many people race through life without ever pausing to enjoy it. They pursue wealth, fame, and their dreams. They assume there will always be time to enjoy the fruit of their labor—only to realize, too late, how brief life is. In Psalm 39, David wrestles with this truth.

David begins with his attempt to guard his tongue against sin. He has resolved to remain silent in the presence of the wicked. He knew that speaking rashly or unwisely could dishonor God. This is the image of a man straining to restrain himself, not because he has nothing to say, but because he recognizes that the circumstances are wrong. As the Lord Jesus warned in Matthew 7:6, we must not cast pearls before swine. Truths spoken to the wrong audience are trampled underfoot—and the messenger may be torn apart.

But silence also has its burdens. David describes the increasing disturbance within his soul, how his sorrow intensified, and the fire within him grew. In his distress, he could no longer hold it in. So he turned—not to the wicked, but to the Lord. Out of the pressure within him came a cry not of frustration, but of insight and humility:

“O Lord, make me know my end
and what is the measure of my days;
let me know how fleeting I am!”

This is the turning point in the psalm. Wisdom begins not with clever strategies for success, but with the realization that we are accountable to God, and that our time is short. Psalm 90:12 is Moses’ prayer, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Only the time that we live intentionally in the will of God is numbered. When we forget how brief our lives are, we waste time.

David reflects, “Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you.” In comparison to eternity, even a full life—70 or 80 years—is a mere vapor, a moment. Job puts it vividly:

“Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.
He comes out like a flower and withers;
he flees like a shadow and continues not” (Job 14:1–2).

The writer of Ecclesiastes goes on to ask, “Who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life?” (Ecclesiastes 6:12). Indeed, what occupies most of our time? David laments, “Surely for nothing [people] are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!” Mankind is blind to the reality that they cannot take anything with them when they depart this earth.

David is painfully aware that life on earth is futile for the wicked, yet rigorous for the righteous because of the Lord’s stern discipline against sin. This causes him to turn to God as his only hope. “Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You. Deliver me from all my transgressions.” That is the heartbeat of wisdom: placing our hope not in our own wealth, fame, ability or strength, but in God Himself. David recognizes that only God can deliver him from his sin. Only through God’s forgiveness can he emerge out of sorrow, from the illusion that this life is all there is.

David’s humility stands out. He does not claim exemption from suffering because of his righteousness.“Remove your stroke from me,” he pleads, “I am spent by the hostility of your hand.” He longs for physical relief, but also for forgiveness and restoration. He does not justify himself or explain away his suffering. He recognizes that God’s discipline is painful, consuming what is dear to us, and yet it is not cruelty—it is mercy. God disciplines those He loves so that they may become righteous.

How humble is his plea: “Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears!Look away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more.” There is no pride here—only a broken and contrite heart. He knows himself to be a mere visitor, a transient, in God’s time and space, as his forefathers also were. No man has a right to demand God’s grace. Therefore, David begs that he may have a brief space to enjoy God’s heartwarming smile despite his own sinfulness. He does not claim to deserve it, but he begs for it as a boon.

Let us remember that wisdom is not found in long life, but in purposeful life. And purposeful life comes from living in light of God’s eternity. It means being mindful that our words matter, that God’s discipline is redemptive, and that our true hope is in humbling ourselves before his righteousness and looking only to him for deliverance from our transgressions. We are not permanent residents here—we are pilgrims, and need not waste time building empires of sand.

Philippians 3:13-14 echoes this in the call to forget what is behind and press forward to what lies ahead, toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. And in Acts 13:36, we are told that David, “after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers.” That is a life well-lived: whether long or short, it is full of God’s purpose.

David’s life was marked by humility, confession, and trust. He lived with a view of God and therefore of eternity. His aim was to fulfil God’s purpose in his short time on earth. His hope was in God. And God honored him—not for his strength or achievements, but because he was a man after God’s own heart.

Life is short. The day of our death is unknown. But today—this moment—is a gift. Let us not waste it. Let us choose to live wisely: confessing our sins, rejoicing in God’s mercy, using our time well, and fixing our hope not on things that fade, but on the God who endures forever.

And when the day comes that we too “fall asleep,” may it be said of us, as it was of David: that we served the purpose of God in our generation. God bless.

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Date:
July 22