S ) "4 Lord, make me to know my end
And what is the extent of my days;
Let me know how transient I am."
Psalm 39:4 (NASB)
O) David was showing some signs of existentialism that his son Solomon would share. In this psalm, he acknowledged the brevity and futility of life. In particular, a few verses later David pointed out how man is a mere breath, or vanity - even at his best and standing firm as he can. David said man makes an uproar for nothing. It paints the picture of ignorance. It carries the impression that man doesn't even realize how short his own life is. At it's longest, it's still nothing in the sight of God, who is eternal. David did not want to fall into the same trap, the same futile thinking of other men. He asked God to show him how short his life will be. It's worth noting, that David live into his seventies. That was a short life, by his reckoning. By a better understanding of how long (or short) life truly is, David was able to use better time management. After all, we do not control the flow of time. It will pass as God wills. God gives us time as stewards of it. David wanted to be a good steward, he wanted to manage his time well. That started with a better understanding of what God had given him.
A) This is kind of a scary verse to me. This verse confronts one of the very deep issues at work in my heart. My time does not belong to me. There is no "my time" in my life. Not really. All of my time belongs to God, really. The truth is, I waste a lot of time. Videogames, TV shows, even books... there are a lot of ways I entertain myself, that may well and truly be wasting what little time God has given me. So, to ask God to open my eyes and show me the extent of my days... to let me know how transient I am... this is very sobering. What if God did answer? What if He told me I only had ten years? Five years? One month? This is like the hypothetical questions like, "If you only had ___ time to live, what would you do?" Except, this is a very real concept. Even if God answered and told me I had forty years left, this would still draw a lot of focus on how I use my time. However, I almost never think of my time this way. I don't think entertainment is altogether bad. I don't think playing games or watching movies is a complete waste. I think what may give it value, is what it could be doing for me or others. One thing that stands out to me, is the idea of recreation. What exactly is being recreated? Is my goal, while playing a videogame, to simply "veg-out" for some time? How selfish is that, really? If my goal in watching TV is to "decompress" or otherwise relieve stress, then isn't that truly idolatry? After all, Jesus asked me to come to Him when I am anxious or weary. More valuable, more important I think, are the people who should be involved. I think recreational activities are good, when they are recreating relationships with others. If I want to play a game, I should invite someone to play with me. If I want to read a book, I should read with someone and talk about it (book-club-style). In everything I do, I need to start being critical of the time it takes. I need to be harsh with the truth, and determine if something is a productive use of time. I need to be honest about my goals and purposes, when I intend to do something for a time.
A) This is kind of a scary verse to me. This verse confronts one of the very deep issues at work in my heart. My time does not belong to me. There is no "my time" in my life. Not really. All of my time belongs to God, really. The truth is, I waste a lot of time. Videogames, TV shows, even books... there are a lot of ways I entertain myself, that may well and truly be wasting what little time God has given me. So, to ask God to open my eyes and show me the extent of my days... to let me know how transient I am... this is very sobering. What if God did answer? What if He told me I only had ten years? Five years? One month? This is like the hypothetical questions like, "If you only had ___ time to live, what would you do?" Except, this is a very real concept. Even if God answered and told me I had forty years left, this would still draw a lot of focus on how I use my time. However, I almost never think of my time this way. I don't think entertainment is altogether bad. I don't think playing games or watching movies is a complete waste. I think what may give it value, is what it could be doing for me or others. One thing that stands out to me, is the idea of recreation. What exactly is being recreated? Is my goal, while playing a videogame, to simply "veg-out" for some time? How selfish is that, really? If my goal in watching TV is to "decompress" or otherwise relieve stress, then isn't that truly idolatry? After all, Jesus asked me to come to Him when I am anxious or weary. More valuable, more important I think, are the people who should be involved. I think recreational activities are good, when they are recreating relationships with others. If I want to play a game, I should invite someone to play with me. If I want to read a book, I should read with someone and talk about it (book-club-style). In everything I do, I need to start being critical of the time it takes. I need to be harsh with the truth, and determine if something is a productive use of time. I need to be honest about my goals and purposes, when I intend to do something for a time.
P) Father, You are eternal. You made me to ponder eternity. I know that life on earth is temporary. I know that this is not my home. You created me to live and die on earth, so that I could be resurrected in Christ to live again. I do not only live once. I live twice. It is a little bit intimidating, and scary, if I am being honest, for me to pray like David prayed. But Lord, I want what You want. I want to be a good steward of everything You have given me. I want to be a good time manager. Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. Help me to make the most of my time and opportunities. Be glorified. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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