(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)
(Psalm 39:1-13) I said, “I will keep watch over my ways
So that I do not sin with my tongue;
I will keep watch over my mouth as with a muzzle
While the wicked are in my presence.”
2 I was mute and silent,
I refused to say even something good,
And my pain was stirred up.
3 My heart was hot within me,
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Lord, let me 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 like hand widths,
And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight;
Certainly all mankind standing is a mere breath. Selah
6 Certainly every person walks around as a fleeting shadow;
They certainly make an uproar for nothing;
He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.
7 “And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in You.
8 Save me from all my wrongdoings;
Do not make me an object of reproach for 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 rebukes You punish a person for wrongdoing;
You consume like a moth what is precious to him;
Certainly all mankind is mere breath! Selah
12 “Hear my prayer, Lord, and listen to my cry for help;
Do not be silent to my tears;
For I am a stranger with You,
One who lives abroad, like all my fathers.
13 Turn Your eyes away from me, that I may become cheerful again
Before I depart and am no more.”
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
So that I do not sin with my tongue;
I will keep watch over my mouth as with a muzzle
While the wicked are in my presence.”
2 I was mute and silent,
I refused to say even something good,
And my pain was stirred up.
3 My heart was hot within me,
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Lord, let me 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 like hand widths,
And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight;
Certainly all mankind standing is a mere breath. Selah
6 Certainly every person walks around as a fleeting shadow;
They certainly make an uproar for nothing;
He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.
7 “And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in You.
8 Save me from all my wrongdoings;
Do not make me an object of reproach for 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 rebukes You punish a person for wrongdoing;
You consume like a moth what is precious to him;
Certainly all mankind is mere breath! Selah
12 “Hear my prayer, Lord, and listen to my cry for help;
Do not be silent to my tears;
For I am a stranger with You,
One who lives abroad, like all my fathers.
13 Turn Your eyes away from me, that I may become cheerful again
Before I depart and am no more.”
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
There have been a few times when I've been angry enough that I was afraid to speak because I wasn't sure I could keep it civil. What we say carries a lot of weight. So before we say one word in any situation, we should pray!
In verse 4, David starts with essential questions to God, basically asking Him for a reminder about the purpose we have here on earth. In the big picture, our lives are so very short compared to eternity. Yet, even though so many things are fleeting, people still see them as extremely important... critical, even. So our focus and our hope and what we truly value should be: the Lord and His salvation and His kingdom. This helps to put everything into a holy and very real perspective.
Even though David's enemies were in the wrong, David could see that most people make "mountains out of mole hills". Therefore, in verses 7-8, David's next step n his prayer was to ask God to save him from all his own wrongdoings. If we go into any situation with a self-righteous attitude, this will not only be ineffective, it can actually make a situation worse. So then, in verse 12, David asks that God would help him.
It is one thing to keep watch over what we say and do, it is quite another to ask God to be our driving force! We have the Holy Spirit within us to convict, guide and prompt us! Like David, we simply have to remember to stop and pray, each and every time, and ask for the Lord's guidance, righteousness and help!
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