Day Sixty-eight

“You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as
nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath.” (Ps. 39:5)

Scripture Reading: Psalm 39

David practiced what he preached. In Psalm 62:8, he exhorted the children of God to “pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” David wasn’t one to keep his feelings to himself. He was a marvelous blend of passion and expression; therefore, what he felt—he usually said. Psalm 39 is a perfect example. He even begins the psalm by vocalizing the miseries of remaining mute. Questions and frustrations concerning God had overwhelmed him until “the fire burned” in his heart and “[he] spoke with [his] tongue” (v. 3). The remainder of the psalm records David’s troubled thoughts. He loved and trusted his God so thoroughly, he knew he would not be cast away for spilling the painful overflow of his heart.

The theme of his passion in this particular text was the fragility of life. When was the last time you were reminded how fragile life is? Chances are, the circumstances were upsetting and likely involved the loss of someone’s life. We have no way of knowing what sparked David’s sudden and strong emotions about life’s frailties, but when the spark turned into a roaring fire, he knew God could take the heat. His burning heart boiled forth with the words: “You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath.”

David was right about the brevity of life, but he was wrong if he believed each millisecond of his life did not tick like a metronome in God’s heart. Indeed, our lives are a handbreadth—but not a mere handbreadth. More importantly perhaps, our lives are not man’s handbreadth, but God’s. In every sense of the word, our lives are in God’s hands.

• Psalm 37:24 says, “Though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”
• Psalm 139:9–10 says, “If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”
• Isaiah 49:16 says, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.”
• Exodus 33:22 says, “When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand.”

Yes, our lives are a handbreadth—God’s handbreadth. We have His thumbprint on us the moment we’re conceived and the imprint of His little finger the moment we leave. Every moment in between, we’re covered by His love. Every moment of our belief, we’re covered by His blood. And when the last breath is drawn, if we are His own, He wraps His arms around our lives and takes us safely home.