Psalm 39:2-3

Psalm 39:2-3

The burning question

It seems as if one of the driving forces behind this Psalm was David’s growing awareness of how fragile human life can be. That is certainly at the heart of his outpouring to the Lord in verses 4-6. How quickly the tables turn, how easily disaster overcomes us, one day all is fine and the next everything has changed. As young people we tend to be optimistic and to make plans on the basis that we are always going to be around to carry them through. Then, as we grow older, an increasing sense of our mortality and the ageing process helps to put things into perspective. Big questions such as, “How long have I got? What is my purpose here? Who am I?” are worthy of consideration and they boiled up inside David. He tried to suppress them. He tried to ignore them. But the more he did so the more anxious he became. I guess most of us have similar questions but we push them to one side. They are rarely asked in public and of course it’s all a bit pointless because no human being has the answers. So, dare we ask God? Dare we turn to Him and give vent to the feelings that are churning around inside of us? I think we should. David did. It was like a fire burning within him and one day he could suppress it no longer. Of course, he was driven by the fear that he had brought all of this upon himself, by his deliberate sinning. Would God forgive him? Did he still have a future as king? Was this the end of his life? Was this the final punishment for his foolishness? “Show me Lord.”

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