Briefing: There are days were we only have the strength or desire to get through the day, then there are those days were we ponder the meaning of life. In this Psalm, we see that God seems to think just the opposite. He is more concerned about our soul and eternity than daily happiness and satisfaction.

Dispatch (Assignment): Read Psalm 39.

On the Street: Verses 1-3 are like one of those New Year resolutions we make. No matter how good our intentions are and how hard we try, we just can’t seem to stick with it. David made a commitment not to sin with his mouth. It didn’t take long for him to see it was an exercise in futility. There was no way he could keep silent when there was so much stupidity going on around him. Do you sometimes feel like this? I wish I could go one day without sinning with my words.

David’s frustration continues as he seeks God’s perspective on his life. David is having an issue with that 18 inch highway of faith that runs from our mind to our heart. There are times in life where knowledge is dropped off at the dock of our mind and sits there. That kind of head knowledge does not really do us much good if it just sits there. It is only when that knowledge gets transferred to our hearts that it begins to do its job. In these verses, 4-6, I have to wonder if David’s young son Solomon was listening to him as he worked through this question of life. Solomon would go on to expand on these thoughts when he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes.

Verse 7 David asks, “But now, Lord, what do I look for?” In other words, what do I spend my life on? Law enforcement officers often get to the point when they ask themselves, “Are we doing any good? Are we really making a difference, are we winning the war for justice or is evil prevailing?” The answer for me is yes. The men and women of law enforcement are making a huge impact on the people of our communities.

We must come to a place where we trust God. We cannot allow ourselves to look at the circumstances around us and lose hope. We serve a big God who has a big plan for His creation. Nothing that is going on has caught God by surprise. We can trust that He has it all under control. Just because we can’t see it does not make it any less true.

When God first told Abraham that he would be the father of many nations, Abraham had no children. Just because he had no children at the time of God’s promise did not change the fact that the promise would come true.

When I get in one of these reflective moods I look to Micah 6:8, “He has showed you O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” There it is. The three things God requires of you are right here in His Word. No need to look any further.

Investigational Resources: Ecclesiastes, Micah 6:8.

Officer Safety Principle: “Hear my prayer, O LORD, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping.” Psalm 39:12a.

from Psalms Through the Eyes of a Cop, Volume 1
©by Charles Gilliland. Used by permission.
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