I said, "I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence." 2 But when I was silent and still, not even saying anything good, my anguish increased. 3 My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue: 4 "Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. 5 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. Selah

It seems the Psalmist is struggling with the brevity of life and the troubles that accompany the short stay we have on this earth. He seems to want to question God as to why things are as they are but is cautious because he does not want to give the unbeliever opportunity to charge God falsely. When we stop and reflect (and be honest with ourselves) most of us have asked about the purpose of our lives and why we even exist. We ask questions such as: “is this all that life is really supposed to be?” or “what is the purpose, when all I do each day is go thru the same routine?” or “will this [trial – whatever it is] ever end”?

The preacher in the book of Ecclesiastes tells us that life without God is futile, it is vanity. He compares it to chasing the wind. We go thru the motions of living but when we get older and reflect, we wonder why we even existed? He concludes that the whole purpose of life here is to serve God and keep his commandments. Jesus said that the greatest command ever given is to love the Lord God with all our heart, soul and mind. He then said the second is to love our neighbor as ourselves. When we couple the conclusion of the preacher with the words of Jesus we see that life is meant to be used in service to God by serving one another. It is not about what we can get for ourselves but what we can give for God to one another. This is why Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. When we emulate the love of God in our lives we then want to be giving and not taking. “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…” In the book of 1st John we are told that God is love and that all true love comes from him. It is only when we have God in us (thru his Holy Spirit) that we can know real love in our lives and this perfected love cast out all fear.

O God, please help me to know your love and allow it to be perfected in me so that I may show this love to others around me. Help me to not be selfish in my life but to use all I have and am to serve you. Give me wisdom to know when and what to say and when to keep a muzzle on my mouth. Forgive me when I fail. I pray in the name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior.

May God bless each of us as we rededicate our lives to him.