Psalm 39:4-6

Show me, O Lord, my life's end

and the number of my days;

let me know how fleeting is my life.

You have made my days a mere handbreadth;

the span of my years is as nothing before you.

Each man's life is but a breath.

Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro:

He bustles about, but only in vain;

he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.

This psalm is the story of my life right now. God has been reminding me how insignificant and small I am. At first, I found this revelation quite depressing, but as I meditate on it, I'm realizing that it's a blessing. My days truly are a mere handbreadth and my life but a breath. It inspires me to action. If I have so little time on this earth, why not make the most of it? And why not do it for God?

I'm very glad I read this psalm today; it further solidified (at least for me) our calling to give up our "comfortable" existence here and move to Africa. I've been noticing, in the past few months especially, that my desire to buy stuff has been fading. I don't need that new shirt or that movie. It's amazing to me that God has been whittling away at my materialistic self without me even realizing it! I'm beginning to believe that this whittling is preparing me for missions, teaching me how to control my impulsiveness and greed and to be willing to give up luxuries. I don't want to be like the man the psalmist describes, the man who heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it. I want to build treasures in heaven, the kind that will last for all eternity.