God’s Hope for Your Heart from Psalm 39
ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE CAN SET YOU FREE RIGHT NOW
I was mute and silent; I held my peace to no avail, and my distress grew worse.
My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:
“O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!”
(Psalm 39:2-4)
Sometimes we try so hard to be at peace with situations, but it just doesn’t work. We try to have a good attitude, a right heart, but the more we try to respond rightly, the more frustrated we become.
Have you ever been there?
David finds himself trying so hard not to let the people and problems around him produce distress within him, and it’s just not working. So, what does he ask for when he goes to God for help?
Perspective.
Ask anyone who has survived a terrible accident or been diagnosed with a terminal illness and they will tell you the same thing. They will tell you that when you really grasp the truth of your own mortality, when you really know how fragile and fleeting your life is, it changes how you see the world. When seen in the light of eternity, petty disagreements don’t seem to matter as much, and even major differences turn out to be not quite as earth-shattering as you thought.
That’s why David asks to be reminded of just how short his time is, so that his heart will have the proper perspective to use that time well.
May you be blessed today with that same reminder, because when you take it to heart, it will bring hope because of this truth: eternal perspective can set you free right now.
-Pastor Phillip
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