Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you. Psalm 39:7 WEB

We suffer many things in life. David had been suffering sickness and recognized that as a sinful man, death waits for him just as it does for anyone else. He would not cry out in front of men because he didn’t want to give unbelievers reason to scoff at the God he loved and served. Instead, David would petition the Lord and wait for his mercy and reply.

David’s illness had caused him to reflect on how short and uncertain life is. This did not leave him in despair but rather, he was inspired to put his faith and hope in God and his forgiveness. David was strong and did not want his faith to be mocked because of fear and uncertainty.

The great king learned that he should not place great value on the temporary things of life. David knew that the greatest asset he had was his relationship with God. As he said of God, “My hope is in you.” David viewed himself as a temporary traveler through this world. In scripture he prayed for God’s kindness to remain with him in the remaining days of his earthly life.

The Circumstances of Life

It was not always easy for David to write a Psalm. Sometimes he was inspired to write praises because of pleasant circumstances but in other times he had been brought low by the circumstances of life. Even so, he chose to honor and worship the Lord. In good times and in bad, David kept his view that the Lord is righteous, and it led him to better understand the life that he had lived.

It can be easy to praise God when things are going our way. Sometimes we may even forget to give thanks for the good things of God. It can be just as easy to get bitter when things are not going our way or to only turn to the Lord when things are not going so well. But God is good and only good. Up or down, the Lord hears our prayers and petitions. In all circumstances, when we put our hope in him, God is a comfort to his faithful.

Yesterday’s Devotional: Come to Repentance