These three psalms of David, are psalms of prayer for deliverance and they are very moving in their emotion and relevance. The first three verses of Psalm 40 are so poetic that the secular band U2 wrote a song called “40” from that very text. David recounts a time when he could only be saved by God and so he waited patiently for God’s deliverance. God heard him, rescued him and set his feet on solid rock. As a result of that deliverance many, David says, will see, fear and trust in the Lord. What a fitting picture for all of us who know Christ. We too were drowning in sin, unable to rescue ourselves and God in His mercy reached down into the pit and pulled us out of the muddy sin and set our feet on the solid Rock of Jesus. Now our lives are to be a testimony to His glory and deliverance so that others will see, fear the Lord and trust in Him.
However, what I want to focus on (in light of that truth) is the language of Psalm 39. David talks about the amount of time we have to serve God and puts it like this; “LORD, make aware of my end and the number of my days so that I will know how short-lived I am. In fact, you have made my days just inches long and my life span is as nothing to you. Yes, every human being stands as only a vapor. Yes, a person goes about like a mere shadow. Indeed, they rush around in vain, gathering possessions without knowing who will get them. Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.” (39:4-7) If our lives are to be a testimony (i.e. Psalm 40) but our lives are only a vapor or a shadow, here today and gone tomorrow, then we must spend our every moment for Him and “number our days.”
I am not saying that it is wrong to refresh, to unplug, or to unwind (veg out as this generation would say). However, I am saying that this refreshing of the mind is to have the purpose of making us more effective when we reengage. Too often, I am just wasting time and not really accomplishing my life’s goal of living in such a way that people “see, fear and trust in the LORD.” These are days of lockdown and days when we are purposefully distancing ourselves from others around us. Yet, they do not have to be days of fruitless inactivity and wasted opportunities. See this time as a time to equip yourself for battle when the lockdown is over. See this time as a time to accomplish the big ideas that you have always had. Sometimes the greatest use of your time is in prayer because that is where the battle is fought and won. We normally say we are “too busy” to do all the things we need to do. Now we are saying we are “too bored and isolated” to make a difference in the world. Do you see the irony of that? Make a list of tasks that will change this world from your current status and lean into it today. This will pass and you will jump back into the daily fray; when it does will you be spiritually fit or spiritually flabby?
