A Sojourner with the Lord
“4 “Show me, Lord, my life’s end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting my life is.
5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,
even those who seem secure.
6 “Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom;
in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth
without knowing whose it will finally be.
7 “But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you.
8 Save me from all my transgressions;
do not make me the scorn of fools.
9 I was silent; I would not open my mouth,
for you are the one who has done this.
10 Remove your scourge from me;
I am overcome by the blow of your hand.
11 When you rebuke and discipline anyone for their sin,
you consume their wealth like a moth—
surely everyone is but a breath.
12 “Hear my prayer, Lord,
listen to my cry for help;
do not be deaf to my weeping.
I dwell with you as a foreigner,
a stranger, as all my ancestors were.
13 Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again
before I depart and am no more.””
David fervently prays to God to help him realize his end and the limits of his life. He requests wisdom to number his days and confesses that life is fleeting and filled with vanity. Just as the teachings of Ecclesiastes emphasize, David also stresses that a life without God is empty.
The passage that speaks of accumulating wealth in vain, not knowing who will gather it, resonates with the parable of the foolish rich man in Luke 12. That rich man planned to build bigger barns to store his wealth and enjoy life, but God demanded his soul that very night. This serves as a reminder that everything we accumulate in this world is ultimately in vain.
However, David finds hope in the fact that God exists, even amid the fleeting nature of life. This hope is rooted in the belief that God is the Creator, the Savior, and the one who will bring about new creation. We are not merely mechanical organisms existing for survival; we are beings created in the image of God, endowed with His life. Since God is the source of our life, our lives hold deep meaning and purpose. Therefore, we are not lost wanderers in a meaningless world, but those who possess hope in God.
David likens life to that of a sojourner. Living with a sojourner’s spirituality means not clinging to earthly things but instead journeying with God, discovering new meaning on this earth, and participating in the work of creation.
May we find new meaning and value in life through the Lord and live out our lives dedicated to God, joyfully embracing the spirituality of an immigrant and a sojourner.
Prayer: Lord, we thank You that because You created us in Your image, our lives have meaning and beauty. We place our hope in You. Help us not to waste the life You have given us but to reveal Your life to others, especially to those lost in despair and vanity. May our community of faith be bold, encouraging one another as we live in faith. Amen.
(Note: This summary was created based on an AI draft.)
Devotional content is available on the Our Daily Bread website.