waiting temporarily

And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?

My hope is in you.

Psalm 39:7

The message of this psalm gives a unique perspective on waiting on God. The overall theme of Psalm 39 is the brevity of life. Our existence on this planet is a spark’s flash in comparison to the enduring sunshine of eternity. All of a life is a mere exhale. A brief walk through this song of David’s gives us insight into this question on waiting on the Lord.

The psalm begins with Determination and Desperation to Dull a Dialogue. David determines not to say the wrong thing to the wrong people. Some temptation to sin with his tongue has come to him (Psalm 39:1). But the situation he was struggling with also had a component of growing desperation as he kept his mouth literally shut. And finally David could stand no more, but carefully directed his words to the right place (Psalm 39:2-3).

The psalm then moves to a Call to Consider the Cursory Character of Life. David speaks. He breaks his silence with a prayer for God to make known to him the measure of his days and the fleeting nature of his mortality. And in that knowledge, he realizes all of human history is but a breath exhaled before the eternal God (Psalm 39:4-6)

From there the song turns to a final section. David’s prayer is a Personal Petition for Perfect Peace. David resolves to wait for hope to come from God (Psalm 39:7). God will deliver from sin (Psalm 39:8). God will discipline in love and rebuke (Psalm 39:9-11). God will bring peace even in our temporary tears (Psalm 39:12). God will bring a smile before we die (Psalm 39:13).

There are two “selah” pauses strategically in this Psalm (Psalm 39:5, 11) — both of them at the attention-grabbing line of poetry: “surely all mankind is a mere breath.” In the final summary, we are all sojourners, travelers, guests in this hotel of life, not permanent residents here, instead looking to God for our eternal home as we journey toward Him (Psalm 39:12). The conclusion in terms of what it means to the subject of waiting on God? All waiting is focused on the vivid hope of our destination to be with God in eternity. All times of waiting point there. Even if we hope for direction still in this life, it is only as a travel stop on our journey. We wait AND we travel. We wait AS we travel. But our destination is the thing. That is the hope. And the destination is vastly greater than the mere exhale of our existence!