THANKFUL

Chatting with Jesus

Monday, January 9, 2023

Lord, You’re not surprised. We’re thankful You are mindful that as humans, we act, well . . . human. Psalm 39 details how the psalmist continually fought to keep his mouth from getting him in trouble. Sometimes he succeeded, (like me), other times his words escalated the conflict, (again, like me)—Psalm 39:1-3.

You reminded the psalmist how life is too short to get so bent out of shape when life’s stuff goes haywire. The psalmist realized his life here is temporary, that these issues of life, the trials and problems, disagreements, won’t last forever. The psalmist considered how life is too precious to be wasted on things that will not matter a year from now, or next month, next week, or even tomorrow. Why let your relationship with the Lord be disrupted over issues that have no eternal value?

I re-read the psalmist prayer.

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me my days are numbered, how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to You, at best, each of us is but a breath. We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.

“And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in You,” —Psalm 39:4–7 (NLT)

Lord, when stressful situations arise, help me pause before speaking, think about the implications of what I’m about to say will have on those involved, and may all I say reflect You living in me. Amen, Jesus.