Gone In 60 Seconds

Those who think that the psalms are a prayer book to be kept in dusty chapels and only brought to light in the context of worship have underestimated the power and purpose of these words. These are prayers for the whole of life; they provide wisdom for the world in which we find ourselves.

The psalmist is an observer of the ways of the world, and this psalm centers on the great discovery he has made: life is fleeting (4-6), and only makes sense against the bigger picture of God’s purposes (7,12). How will I understand the futility of those who hanker after wealth (6), or the purpose of the disciplines God sends my way (9), unless I know that the deeper purposes of God are being worked out behind the visible world? Just as Jacob and Joseph discovered God at work behind the scenes in the epic ups and downs of their journeys, so must we trust that we are God’s guests in this world (12).

Don’t be taken in by those who want to tell you that wealth is all that matters. Don’t give up on faith when hard things happen. Recognize that God is at work, and trust him for the beauty he is bringing to your life. Not every promotion is the blessing it at first appears. Not every setback is the curse you might, at first, think it is. Search, rather, for the path God has for you. Seek out his kingdom. Show all those watching you that there is another way to live.

If you only had two weeks to live, what is one thing you would feel compelled to do? How can this psalm give you hope in God when hard times next occur?