Psalm 39

How is the worshiper of the Lord to live in the midst of a world that does not join him in the congregation of those who call upon the Name of the Lord? It is not that the others all around him cannot appreciate the wonder of a sunrise, or cannot grow from an experience of loss. The world of natural experience is there for them, and they make some spiritual use of it. But the life of hearing and obeying the Word seems closed to them. They do not seem to have ears to hear.

The Word of God divides people. A sunrise has a voice of its own, but it does not divide people. The Word speaks, and insists on being unique from all other voices. The Word demands that all men listen and follow. But only the sheep of God hear the Voice and follow. Others are out, but the true congregation of those who love the Voice are in.

This is particularly uncomfortable since the rejection or acceptance of the Word by people will eventually move them apart from each other in their response to the demands of God. Those who are powerful and unresponsive to the Word will make decisions in accord with their own perceptions of happiness. People will eventually be divided not only on their willingness to participate with an open heart in divine worship, but also on matters of public and personal ethics, with the worshiper seeking to follow the Word, and the others who reject the Word making choices that deviate from divine directives. Both groups sin, but the worshipers see this as wrong, they confess, repent, and believe in the provision of God in Christ for their forgiveness. Those who reject the Word may accuse themselves of sin, but they may also excuse themselves, and eventually they may openly applaud what the Word says is wicked, and turn against anyone who says otherwise.

What is the righteous man to do? He may try to simply have no contact with those who do not believe the Word. Or he may try to guard his tongue to avoid unnecessary danger and offense.

But this second way requires great powers of self-discipline. It is not easy to live the quiet life in a world that is perishing. When a man begins to lose his composure, he sense of distress will grow, and the words will start to burn within his soul, and out they come, and trouble may come.

After the mess of too many words, and many of them the wrong words or the right words spoken at the wrong time, the Lord is still there. As with any sin, a man can turn to Him and speak, finding the help that comes from a consideration of God's eternal plan.

The worshiper is living in the midst of those who reject God's Voice, but this is only for a brief time. He needs to be patient, and to show restraint. The life of any man is a mere breath. A child is born; a hundred years later an old man is forgotten. His days are fleeting, but he does not seem to have the wisdom to recognize it.

God can help a man to be aware of his end. The span of his life is nothing before the Lord. If God grants a man this right way of looking at life, he will not be unduly moved by the world of unbelief all around him, even if he becomes an object of the ridicule or persecution of others.

The worshiper should have this right view, but he worries instead. Someone he loves falls into sin, and he worries. People who hate him threaten him or show him disrespect, and he is troubled. He falls behind in some project, and his contentment is gone. God knows this man's life. He planned it long before he was born. If the man can just trust his Lord, he will live with more peace. He endures inner turmoil for nothing.

Will any of his enemies have more than their hundred years? What will become of them in the end? People should concern themselves about eternity, and ask for the Lord's view on life. Even the wealthy man is constantly churning in his soul. None of that unrest can add one hour to his life.

The worshiper who has been declared righteous in Christ should stop sweating over things that have no eternal significance. His hope is in God, and that hope is secure in the love of Christ. It is enough that the Lord has already delivered him from all the guilt of his sins. If he wants to pursue something more worthwhile, it would be a life of more glorious conformity to the Savior who lived and died for him. This growth in sanctification is the Lord's will for all who are in Christ, and it is a prize worth seeking.

He will need to restrain his tongue. To live this quiet life while maintaining a good engagement with those he is called to love, this is a noble goal. It would be good to avoid the unnecessary scorn of the fool. He will have to learn how to avoid unnecessary talk that leads to unfruitful trouble.

The patriarch Joseph, Esther's uncle Mordecai, and the prophet Daniel, ... men like this faced the extreme challenges of living in the midst of a very difficult environment where wicked people were in charge. All three men were very faithful to God, they had an uncompromising devotion to holiness of life, they were completely engaged in a hostile world, and they knew how to keep their mouths closed when speech would have had great risks of sin and unnecessary danger.

Like Jesus Himself, they suffered through trials, but they trusted the Lord of glory, and they knew that their days here would be brief. God heard their prayers, and He hears the prayers of those who would live quiet lives of godly discretion today. They knew they were guests in lands where they were not entirely at home, but they found strength that was beyond themselves.