Category Archives: Psalm 39

The Brevity of Life

17 Friday Jul 2020

Posted by in Devotions, Psalm 39, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 39
(Verses 6-13)
“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” (NIV).*

effects

Petrie Island cove — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Today’s reading is the concluding portion of Psalm 39. In this psalm we find David in a silent, reflective mood. He contemplates the brevity of life and the certainty of the grave. In the previously posted psalm portion he prayed, “Show me, LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.”

Why would knowing the number of our days matter? Well, it should focus our minds on making the most of the time available to us. Our days on this earth are not infinite. We are each allotted a predetermined number of days. In Psalm 139, another psalm attributed to David, we read, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16).

We have no control or at best limited control over the number of days we live on this earth. But how and with whom we spend those days is within the range of our effective will. I can break my marital vows and my wife’s heart, or I can be true to her and my words spoken before God. I can love and raise my children in godly discipline, or I can neglect them, or alienate them through harsh punishment. I can be faithful to my Redeemer or I can turn my back on Him. These are decisions that fall within the scope of my will. In this life and the next I will be accountable for the decisions I make. Undoubtedly, this is why David cries out, “But now, LORD, what do I look for? My hope is in you. Save me from all my transgressions.”

Response: LORD God, I need your saving help. Through the redemptive blood of Jesus keep me from being trapped and controlled by my transgressions. I need your presence in my life so that I can make the most of my days. May your Kingdom rule extend to me and through me to others. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you think you would live your life differently if you knew how many days you had left?

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

This post by award-winning author David Kitz will be published in book format later in 2020 by Elk Lake Publishing under the title 365 Days through the Psalms.

My Heart Grew Hot Within Me

16 Thursday Jul 2020

Posted by in Devotions, Psalm 39, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 39
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
(Verses 1-5)
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 (NIV).*

img_20200629_1118589-1

Photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Do you often find yourself in a dilemma of silence? In this psalm David finds himself in this very predicament. He decided, “I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.” 

If your ways and your thoughts run contrary to the ways of the wicked, you are in good company. You are in the company of the LORD. But don’t be surprised if you are socially ostracized, when you express your opinion. The ungodly rarely want to hear about the error of their ways. They usually prefer to blunder along in the darkness and curse the sudden appearance of light. It’s seen as too great a threat to their way of life.

David remained silent, “not even saying anything good.” But it was an uneasy silence.

Often as I listen to others—as I listen to news reports and the ruminations of cultural icons—I find myself in an uneasy silence. We live in a world that has largely abandoned God and His ways. When we embrace the God of the Bible, we are choosing to swim upstream against the flow of gravity and humanity. The world heaps scorn on those who have caught a different vision.

In his silence, David’s anguish increased. He states, “My heart grew hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned.” 

Is passion for God burning in your heart? True worth and eternal values can only be found in Him.

Response: LORD, show me your ways. Show me how much I need you day by day. Help me to value every day you give me on this earth. Shine your light in me and through me by the power of Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: Are we silent too often when we should speak?

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

This post by award-winning author David Kitz will be published in book format later in 2020 by Elk Lake Publishing under the title 365 Days through the Psalms.

Today my Hope is in You

07 Saturday Mar 2020

Posted by in Bible, Psalm 39, Psalms

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I will praise the LORD!

Balmaha, Scotland

Balmaha, Scotland — photo courtesy of Jan Jablonski

“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.

  (Psalm 39:6-11, NIV)*

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Everyone is Merely a Breath

22 Friday Feb 2019

Posted by in Psalm 39, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 39
(Verses 6-13)
“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” (NIV).

20190211_0726473-EFFECTS

From my window, icy winter morning glory — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Today’s reading is the concluding portion of Psalm 39. In this psalm we find David in a silent, reflective mood. He contemplates the brevity of life and the certainty of the grave. In the previously posted psalm portion he prayed, “Show me, LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.”

Why would knowing the number of our days matter? Well, it should focus our minds on making the most of the time available to us. Our days on this earth are not infinite. We are each allotted a predetermined number of days. In Psalm 139, another psalm attributed to David, we read, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16).

We have no control, or at best limited control over the number of days we live on this earth. But how and with whom we spend those days is within the range of our effective will. I can break my marital vows and my wife’s heart, or I can be true to her and my words spoken before God. I can love and raise my children in godly discipline, or I can neglect them, or alienate them through harsh punishment. I can be faithful to my Redeemer or I can turn my back on Him. These are decisions that fall within the scope of my will. In this life and the next I will be accountable for the decisions I make. Undoubtedly, this is why David cries out, “But now, LORD, what do I look for? My hope is in you. Save me from all my transgressions.”

Response: LORD God, I need your saving help. Through the redemptive blood of Jesus keep me from being trapped and controlled by my transgressions. I need your presence in my life so that I can make the most of my days. May your Kingdom rule extend to me and through me to others. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you think you would live your life differently if you knew how many days you had left?

While I Meditated, the Fire Burned

21 Thursday Feb 2019

Posted by in Psalm 39, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 39
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
(Verses 1-5)
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 (NIV).

20180831_1218388 (2)

Sunlit forest, Gatineau Park, Quebec — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Do you often find yourself in a dilemma of silence? In this psalm David finds himself in this very predicament. He decided, “I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.”

If your ways and your thoughts run contrary to the ways of the wicked, you are in good company. You are in the company of the LORD. But don’t be surprised if you are socially ostracized, when you express your opinion. The ungodly rarely want to hear about the error of their ways. They usually prefer to blunder along in the darkness and curse the sudden appearance of light. It’s seen as too great a threat to their way of life.

David remained silent, “not even saying anything good.” But it was an uneasy silence.

Often as I listen to others—as I listen to news reports and the ruminations of cultural icons—I find myself in an uneasy silence. We live in a world that has largely abandoned God and His ways. When we embrace the God of the Bible, we are choosing to swim upstream against the flow of gravity and humanity. The world heaps scorn on those who have caught a different vision.

In his silence, David’s anguish increased. He states, “My heart grew hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned.”

Is passion for God burning in your heart? True worth and eternal values can only be found in Him.

Response: LORD, show me your ways. Show me how much I need you day by day. Help me to value every day you give me on this earth. Shine your light in me and through me by the power of Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: Are we silent too often when we should speak?

Caught in a Dilemma of Silence

26 Tuesday Sep 2017

Posted by in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 39, Psalms

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Reading:                                       Psalm 39

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
(Verses 1-5)
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 (NIV).

Reflection
Do you often find yourself in a dilemma of silence? In this psalm David finds himself in this very predicament. He decided, “I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.”

2017-09-20

Petrie Island morning calm — photo by David Kitz

If your ways and your thoughts run contrary to the ways of the wicked, you are in good company. You are in the company of the LORD. But don’t be surprised if you are socially ostracized, when you express your opinion. The ungodly rarely want to hear about the error of their ways. They usually prefer to blunder along in the darkness and curse the sudden appearance of light. It’s seen as too great a threat to their way of life.

David remained silent, “not even saying anything good.” But it was an uneasy silence.

Often as I listen to others—as I listen to news reports and the ruminations of cultural icons—I find myself in an uneasy silence. We live in a world that has largely abandoned God and His ways. When we embrace the God of the Bible, we are choosing to swim upstream against the flow of gravity and humanity. The world heaps scorn on those who have caught a different vision.

In his silence, David’s anguish increased. He states, “My heart grew hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned.”

Is passion for God burning in your heart? True worth and eternal values can only be found in Him.

Response: LORD, show me your ways. Show me how much I need you day by day. Help me to value every day you give me on this earth. Shine your light in me and through me by the power of Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: Are we silent too often when we should speak?

Surely Everyone is but a Breath

17 Wednesday Dec 2014

Posted by in Psalm 39, Psalms

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Reading:                                      Psalm 39

(Verses 6-13)

“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.”  (NIV)

 Reflection

Today’s reading is the concluding portion of Psalm 39. In this psalm we find David in a silent, reflective mood. He contemplates the brevity of life and the certainty of the grave. In the previously posted psalm portion he prayed, “Show me, LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.”

Central Park, NYC -- David Kitz

Central Park, NYC — David Kitz

Why would knowing the number of our days matter? Well, it should focus our minds on making the most of the time available to us. Our days on this earth are not infinite. We are each allotted a predetermined number of days. In Psalm 139, another psalm attributed to David, we read, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16).

We have no control or at best limited control over the number of days we live on this earth. But how and with whom we spend those days is within the range of our effective will. I can break my marital vows and my wife’s heart, or I can be true to her and my words spoken before God. I can love and raise my children in godly discipline, or I can neglect them or alienate them through harsh punishment. These are decisions that fall within the scope of my will. In this life and the next I will be accountable for the decisions I make. Undoubtedly, this is why David cries out, “But now, LORD, what do I look for? My hope is in you. Save me from all my transgressions.”

Response: LORD God, I need your saving help. Through the redemptive blood of Jesus keep me from being trapped and controlled by my transgressions. I need your presence in my life so that I can make the most of my days. May your Kingdom rule extend to me and through me to others. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you think you would live your life differently if you knew how many days you had left?

The Dilemma of Silence

11 Thursday Dec 2014

Posted by in Psalm 39, Psalms

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Reading:                                  Psalm 39

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

(Verses 1-5)

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. (NIV)

Reflection

Do you often find yourself in a dilemma of silence? In this psalm David finds himself in this very predicament. He decided, “I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.”

River Bank -- David Kitz

River Bank — David Kitz

If your ways and your thoughts run contrary to the ways of the wicked, you are in good company. You are in the company of the LORD. But don’t be surprised if you are socially ostracized, when you express your opinion. The ungodly rarely want to hear about the error of their ways. They usually prefer to blunder along in the darkness and curse the sudden appearance of light. It’s seen as too great a threat to their way of life.

David remained silent, “not even saying anything good.” But it was an uneasy silence.

Often as I listen to others—as I listen to news reports and the ruminations of cultural icons—I find myself in an uneasy silence. We live in a world that has largely abandoned God and His ways. When we embrace the God of the Bible, we are choosing to swim upstream against the flow of gravity and humanity. The world heaps scorn on those who have caught a different vision.

In his silence, David’s anguish increased. He states, “my heart grew hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned.”

Is passion for God burning in your heart? True worth and eternal values can only be found in Him

Response: LORD, show me your ways. Show me how much I need you day by day. Help me to value every day you give me on this earth. Shine your light in me and through me by the power of Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: Are we silent too often when we should speak?