Read Psalm 39

“LORD, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah”
— Psalm 39:4–5

It is unknown on what occasion David writes this Psalm. Most likely it was written during the period that David was in exile as King Saul pursued his life. Whatever the case, this Psalm showcases David’s emotions more than most of his Psalms. And we quickly learn just how frustrated and hopeless he feels as he cries out to God.

“Hear my prayer, O LORD, And give ear to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears; For I am a stranger with You, A sojourner, as all my fathers were.” (Psalm 39:12)

Yet — even in such disparity we discover a new found sense of humility in David. He pleads with God to give him perspective on the frailty and shortness of life. To think that David likely prayed for this while he was still a youth shows the wisdom God had given him. Most men can’t see past the weekend, but David was looking past this life and into eternity!

This is reminiscent of the words of Moses —

“Teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

Beloved, we must gain the same heart of wisdom and humility that David and Moses had — wisdom which only comes by recognizing that this life is but a vapor in light of eternity. If eternity could be represented in the span of one day, then this life would not even make up the sum of a millisecond — and even that is still too generous! But it’s hard to have this mindset if we do not have eternity set on our hearts.

Moses prayed such things for Israel —

“Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, That they would consider their latter end!” (Deuteronomy 32:29)

In the first century an ancient Roman poet named Juvenal coined the term: Panem et circenses. It is a Latin phrase which means "bread and circuses" — an evil strategy which the Roman government had employed in order to steal freedom and liberty from the people. The Roman emperor provided free food and entertainment — bread and circuses — to distract the masses while he slowly took away their freedom.

Satan lurks about to rob us of eternal perspective using the same tactic. He throws at us every distraction under the sun which would make us live for the temporary gratifications of the flesh, rather than for the eternal reward of the Spirit.

Listen Christian! — if the devil can’t lead you to sinfulness, he will lead you to leisureliness. If he can’t steer you to immorality, he will attempt to drive you to amorality. We must resist him on this, and he will flee! We must pray as David did: “LORD, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am!"

For when we keep eternity in view, our short life is given the power to have eternal impact and a more eternal weight of glory in the heavens!

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17–18)