Measured Days
“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” — Psalm 39:7 ESV
Recently, I had to dive into old childhood photo albums in search of a photo needed for a project. Nostalgia immediately washed over me as old memories wafted in—some good, some hard. The scent of my parents’ house on the yellowing pages made their long absence feel strangely present. In that moment, I was reminded of just how fleeting life really is. I smiled and ached for the innocence of the little girl reflected in the images. I also marveled at how vexing life’s problems can be for an adult still trying to figure it all out. In that way, some things don’t change.
We’re all searching for meaning, especially amid the hard realities of life.
In a season that has me facing limitations, I realize the freedom found in embracing them. Life, the psalmist says, is fleeting (v. 4)—measured in handbreadths, “my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!” (v. 5)
In all my doing, all my trying, I realize nothing is as important as stopping long and hard enough to turn to the Lord. Without that pause, everything else feels like spinning my wheels endlessly—for nothing. Fear begs me to control the things in life I was never meant to control.
Uncertainty is unsettling.
Yet, the only thing certain in life, on this side of heaven, is that it is uncertain. We cannot plant hope, meaning, significance, or identity in all that is unreliable in this life. Success, possessions, and position do not measure meaning or worth. Nothing is more humbling than the refining seasons that reveal our frailty and need for a strength that is not found from within. The fragility of life can be a hopeless walk unless we stop looking inward and turn our eyes upward.
That’s exactly what this psalmist does as he takes his troubles to the Lord in prayer.
“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” (Psalm 39:7).
We find sustenance in life only by planting hope firmly in God. Adversity, trials, and disappointments remind us of a Father who deeply loves us. So much so that He provided a way for our fleeting lives to receive eternal hope and salvation through His son, Jesus Christ, if we turn and admit our need. We are deeply limited, but God is unlimited.
Unlimited in His provision for us.
Unlimited in His steadfast love toward us.
Unlimited in His deep desire to save us.
It’s good to be reminded of our measured days if it pushes us closer to God, who holds our days now and forevermore.
The little girl in me needed this reminder.