Encouragement: help me understand

Here is your daily encouragement words and thoughts. Today I bring you encouragement from Psalm 39:1-9

39:1     For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of David.

I decided, “I will watch what I say

and make sure I do not sin with my tongue.

I will put a muzzle over my mouth

while in the presence of an evil man.”

2      I was stone silent;

I held back the urge to speak.

My frustration grew;

3      my anxiety intensified.

As I thought about it, I became impatient.

Finally I spoke these words:

4      “O Lord, help me understand my mortality

and the brevity of life!

Let me realize how quickly my life will pass!

5      Look, you make my days short-lived,

and my life span is nothing from your perspective.

Surely all people, even those who seem secure, are nothing but vapor.

6      Surely people go through life as mere ghosts.

Surely they accumulate worthless wealth

without knowing who will eventually haul it away.”

7      But now, O Lord, upon what am I relying?

You are my only hope!

8      Deliver me from all my sins of rebellion!

Do not make me the object of fools’ insults!

9      I am silent and cannot open my mouth

because of what you have done.

Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Ps 39:1-9). Biblical Studies Press.

This word jumped out at me today.  How many times have you made a decision where you were going to go out and do something for God all in your own strength.  This is a classic example of the result when you try to do it on your own.

"I decided, 'I will watch what I say and make sure I do not sin with my tongue.' "  Sounds like an easy task, but even our psalmist does not get very far.  Just a few steps in to this declaration and the psalmist is looking for a muzzle to keep his mouth in check.

Reading on this elevates even higher "My frustration grew;  my anxiety intensified.  As I thought about it, I became impatient."  When we walk out on our own without God's strength. we make things much harder for ourselves.   In the end we too have to exclaim "O Lord, help me understand my mortality and the brevity of life!"  We need to get to the point where we realize our hope has to be in Him.  

Our psalmist requests "Deliver me from all my sins of rebellion!"  We are so fortunate in that his request has been answered for us.  In Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven, be they past, present and future.  He paid the price for us all.

Amen

Music Encouragement  Third Day - My Hope is You