Psalm 39 – I am a Stranger with You!
By Bunni Pounds
*This blog is part of our weekly, virtual Bible Study through the book of Psalms. For information on how to participate, please visit this page.
Much like the book of Job – this is a hard Psalm to read. We can feel the pain in David’s heart as the words come out of his mouth. He knows it is better to remain silent than to pour out all of his vain musings about what he “thinks” God is doing in his life.
Ultimately David knows his life is in God’s hands, and He needs to rest in His presence, but it takes him a while to get to that place of contentment.
“I said, “I will guard my ways,
Lest I sin with my tongue;
I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,
While the wicked are before me.”
I was mute with silence,
I held my peace even from good;
And my sorrow was stirred up.
My heart was hot within me;
While I was musing, the fire burned.
Then I spoke with my tongue:” (verses 1-3)
There are painful times when we don’t understand what is happening to us or why we are having to experience our harsh circumstances.
We have thoughts like – “Aren’t I supposed to be further along than this? Why am I continuing to go around this mountain? Why do I have to experience all this pain? I am such a failure, and the world knows it.”
This internal dialog starts and many times our brains won’t shut off.
This is not where we need to stay. We have to move forward into hope.
2 Corinthians 10:4-6 – “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”
David finally gets there – to the place of hope - in verses 7-8.
“And now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You.
Deliver me from all my transgressions;
Do not make me the reproach of the foolish.”
Though the discipline of the Lord is real, God will never forsake His children and leave them alone. He is a good father who wants to grab up His children in His mighty arms and keep them safe.
Hebrews 12:11 - “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
Hebrews 12:3 – “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”
David is feeling much like Job in this Psalm, but even in the depths of despair and tragedy that Job went through – losing his livelihood and his family - nothing compares to the suffering of the Son of Man. By going through hour upon hour of incredible torture – Jesus put to “death” – for lack of a better word - all of our excuses and complaints as we look at what He suffered.
There are two more thoughts I want us to focus in on out of this Psalm – “Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor” (verse 5b) and “For I am a stranger with You, a sojourner; as all my fathers were.” (verse 12b)
Though in the natural life’s shortness and our true essence as sojourners might seem like negative thoughts – they should give us hope and peace. I personally think David is bringing them up because of the comfort it was giving him.
Life in view of eternity with God makes sense. Without God in the picture – it doesn’t make sense.
The art of trying to achieve riches, prosperity and fame is exhausting. There is a better way - resting in the purposes of God for our lives and being faithful with what He has put in our hands to do.
The Apostle Paul said it so eloquently “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:12-13
As a type A personality – I am always trying to achieve, reach goals, pioneer something, and grow my life’s impact and even this organization for the glory of God. I push and move things forward, but then I hit a wall. I stop, exhausted, and I have to refocus on what is really important.
The simple truth that God has my impact and future in His hands, and He will raise up the impact of even this ministry for His glory leaves me in a state of peace. I don’t have to “make things happen.” Yes, I need to stay organized, I need to have a plan, I need to ask for help, I need to go through the open doors, but ultimately God will carry His message to those who need to hear it. It is not my responsibility. He will make this organization as small or as large as He desires – and that is not up to me.
Knowing that my life is a vapor actually gives me a ton of peace as an “overachiever”. It pushes me toward rest. James 4:14 says “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”
The idea that we are pilgrims and sojourners also surprisingly gives me a ton of peace. It doesn’t matter if I am living in a large home or a small home. It doesn’t matter if I am in America, Romania, or Israel. Geography doesn’t matter, as long as I am in the will of God.
To be led by God into a place of trust and dependence even in where we live is what He is after for our hearts. In the end – we will all be in the same place – worshipping around His throne.
Currently in this life, we should ask God where we should live based on where we can have the most impact for His glory. For our family right now – that is America; but for years and years I thought it might be Guatemala, Romania, and other nations. The point is – we were willing to go if God called us there. Letting go of even the ownership of our lives in where we live sets us free.
As long as we are in His presence – we are home.
David said it so well “I am a stranger WITH you” (verse 12b).
Being with Jesus is all that we really need.
“And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.” (verse 7)
Today, let’s run toward hope and back to the simplicity of His call on our lives. He’s got this!
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