for what, or rather whom, do you wait?

To the choirmaster: to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
1 I said, “I will guard my ways,
that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle,
so long as the wicked are in my presence.”
2 I was mute and silent;
I held my peace to no avail,
and my distress grew worse.
3 My heart became hot within me.
As I mused, the fire burned;
then I spoke with my tongue:

4 “O Lord, make me know my end
and what is the measure of my days;
let me know how fleeting I am!
5 Behold, You have made my days a few handbreadths,
and my lifetime is as nothing before You.
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah
6 Surely a man goes about as a shadow!
Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;
man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

7 “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in You.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions.
Do not make me the scorn of the fool!
9 I am mute; I do not open my mouth,
for it is You who have done it.
10 Remove Your stroke from me;
I am spent by the hostility of Your hand.
11 When You discipline a man
with rebukes for sin,
You consume like a moth what is dear to him;
surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah

12 “Hear my prayer, O Lord,
and give ear to my cry;
hold not Your peace at my tears!
For I am a sojourner with You,
a guest, like all my fathers.
13 Look away from me, that I may smile again,
before I depart and am no more!”

- Psalm 39

This is another challenging psalm for us to consider the way the psalmist carries himself inside of suffering.  The psalmist begins by describing how he has watched his tongue in the presence of the wicked.  He is referring to how he is concerned of how he might react in his suffering and what that would say to the wicked.  Even in his suffering he longs for the Lord to be glorified. But as he can’t contain himself, he releases his tongue in the form of prayer and worship.  Notice just what he says though…

enlighten us to our life span (4-6)

David asks for the Lord to make known to him the brevity of his life.  He does this so he will know the fleeting pleasures of this life and understand the sinful desire to store up wealth on this earth.  He does not start by asking for the suffering to be removed but rather starts by asking to understand the significance of the suffering.  When we understand that our life is but a vapor (James 4:14) and the Lord is the one who numbers our days (4) then the suffering we face will not be as severe as we might make it out to be.  Then we will long for the Lord and not just a better life on this earth. Notice the transition into verse 7…

for what do we wait

After seeking to know the number of his days the psalmist shows what is in his heart, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34). David writes, “O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You” (7). He waits for restoration with the Lord.  David sees that his suffering is a result of the discipline of the Lord (11) and therefore waits for the Lord to remove His hand (13). The psalmist does not accuse the Lord of acting unjustly but rather knows that “the Lord disciplines the one He loves” (Hebrews 12:6).  He sees his sin and grieves not just because of his suffering from it but also the place in which he now stands with the Lord.  He longs to dwell in the house of the Lord (Psalm 27:4) and knows that his fellowship is disrupted by his sin. May we all come to realize the breadth of what our sin does to us. 

For what, or rather whom, do we wait for when we are suffering?  Do we long for the mere relief of the suffering or the presence and fellowship of the Lord?  Are we the first to curse the Lord or the first to watch over the use of our tongues? Do we recognize that the discipline of the Lord is the result of His love for us? Learn from David and this psalm.  Speak in your time of need but let it be utterances of worship and adoration. 

- one who waits for the Lord