39:1-3David resolved to keep his tongue from sin; that is, he decided not to complain to other people about Gad’s treatment of him. David certainly had reason to complain. He was the anointed king of Israel, but he had to wait many years before taking the throne. Then one of his sons tried to kill him and become king instead. But when David could not keep still any longer, he took his complaints directly to God. We all have complaints about our job, money, or situation, but complaining to others may make them think that God cannot take care of us. it may also look as if we blame God for our troubles. Instead, like David, we should take our complaints directly to God. He can take it.
Life Application Study BiblePsalmsChapter 39
Psalm 39
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 884, 885, 886
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
39Psalm 39
Author: David
139 For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of David.
4I said to myself,
6I will watch what I doand not sin in what I say.
I will hold my tonguewhen the ungodly are around me.”2 But as I stood there in silence—not even speaking of good things—the turmoil within me grew worse.3 The more I thought about it,the hotter I got,igniting a fire of words:4“LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is.5 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.”6 We are merely moving shadows,and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.We heap up wealth,not knowing who will spend it.
7And so, LORD, where do I put my hope?My only hope is in you.
8Rescue me from my rebellion.Do not let fools mock me.
9Tam silent before you; I won't say a word,for my punishment is from you.
10But please stop striking me!I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.
11When you discipline us for our sins,you consume like a moth what is precious to us.Each of us is but a breath.
12Hear my prayer, O LORD!Listen to my cries for help!Don’t ignore my tears.For I am your guest—a traveler passing through,as my ancestors were before me.
13Leave me alone so I can smile againbefore I am gone and exist no more.
Theme: Doing God's will sometimes means waiting patiently. While I love God, serve others, and tell others about him.
Life Application Notes 4 notes
39:4Life is short no matter how long we live. If we have something important we want to do, we must not put it off for a better day. Ask yourself, If I had only six months to live, what would I do? Tell someone that you love him or her? Deal with an undisciplined area in your {ife? Tell someone about Jesus? Because life is short, don't neglect what is truly important.
39:5,6The brevity of life is a theme throughout the books of Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. Jesus also spoke about it (Luke 12:20). Ironically, people spend so much time securing their tives on earth but take little or no thought about where they will spend eternity. David realized that amassing riches and busily accomplishing worldly tasks would make no difference in eternity. Few people understand that their only hope is in the LORD. (For other verses on the brevity of life, see Ecclesiastes
39:16What did David mean when he asked God to stop punishing him with “blows” from his hand? It may be a picture of the difficulties David was facing that caused him to feel as if he were being struck. Evidently David thought God was disciplining him, punishing him for his sins. David was expressing his feelings to God, yet David also submitted himself to his powerful and loving heavenly Father.
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Study feature · page 885
Interlude
Study feature · page 885
Interlude