My dad once told me when I was little that the only way to not get in trouble was to sit in a chair and do nothing. I told him though that I would still get in trouble for doing nothing. And I still hold to that.
For David he knew the power of words and decided that if just decided to say nothing, neither good nor evil, then he would not get in trouble. It didn’t work.
“I was speechless and quiet; I kept silent, even from speaking good, and my pain intensified. My heart grew hot within me; as I mused, a fire burned. I spoke with my tongue” (Ps 39:2-3).
He tried. He really tried but to know avail. But when we did speak, he asked the Lord to show him how short his life was so that he would see and understanding.
“LORD, reveal to me the end of my life and the number of my days. Let me know how short-lived I am. You, indeed, have made my days short in length, and my life span as nothing in Your sight. Yes, every mortal man is only a vapor” (Ps 39:4-5).
When was the last time you asked for that in prayer? I’m actually not sure I would want the answer because I assume the only for way God to do that would be something akin to a near death experience. But God is bigger than my limitations of how he does things.
Then David paints a picture of what man looks like:
”Certainly, man walks about like a mere shadow. Indeed, they frantically rush around in vain, gathering possessions…” (Ps 39:6).
And to think this wasn’t written in the 21st century, but actually this was written almost 3000 years ago. That’s 3000 years! Can you imagine what the chasing after possessions looked like back then? How much did they have? And how is it that there is nothing new under the sun?
So David knows what he says gets in him in trouble and so he tries to silent but can’t. He then prays to ask the Lord to show him how short his life really is for man. He knows that every mortal man is a vapor.
He looks around and sees man working and slaving to get another possession. Seeing this he adds a second prayer to the mix: “Deliver me from all my transgressions” (Ps 39:8).He then makes this statement: “You discipline a man with punishment for sin, consuming like a moth what is precious to him; every man is only a vapor” (Ps 39:11).
He is saying man pursues possessions, but the Lord can take those possession away and they be nothing when he brings discipline to a man. I have a feeling David knew the discipline of the Lord.
David ends the psalm with a prayer, asking God to have mercy on him and to turn away his disciplinary gaze that David “may be cheered up before I die and am gone” (Ps 39:13).
It appears David had spoken foolishly. Because of it he had lost his possessions greatly. And now he is asking the Lord’s mercy humbly. Not to restore his possession, but to restore their relationship.
It’s a good reality check that words can cost us everything, but let them never cost us Christ.
