Psa 39:5 | MHM | STEP | v. 5 : David meditates on how short life is. He says, “You have made my days as a hand-breadth” (Psalm 39:5 ). A hand-breadth is a very small measure. Our lives are so short that God sees them as nothing compared to eternity. This should remind us not to cling too tightly to life on earth, but to prepare for what comes after. v. 5 (continued), v. 6 : David also realizes that life is not only short, but also empty without God. He says, “Surely every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah” (Psalm 39:5 ). Every person, no matter how strong or successful, is still weak and temporary. Our joys, honors, and even our worries are like a shadow or a show—they do not last (James 4:14 ). People work hard to gain wealth, but in the end, they do not know who will use what they have collected (Ecclesiastes 2:19 ). This is why David says, “Surely they are disquieted in vain: he heaps up riches, and does not know who will gather them” (Psalm 39:6 ). All these things show how little control we have, and how much we need to trust God with our lives.

‏ Psalms 39:5

v. 5: David meditates on how short life is. He says, “You have made my days as a hand-breadth”(Psalm 39:5 ^a). A hand-breadth is a very small measure. Our lives are so short that God sees them as nothing compared to eternity. This should remind us not to cling too tightly to life on earth, but to prepare for what comes after.

v. 5 (continued), v. 6: David also realizes that life is not only short, but also empty without God. He says, “Surely every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah”(Psalm 39:5 ^b). Every person, no matter how strong or successful, is still weak and temporary. Our joys, honors, and even our worries are like a shadow or a show—they do not last (James 4:14 ^c). People work hard to gain wealth, but in the end, they do not know who will use what they have collected (Ecclesiastes 2:19 ^d). This is why David says, “Surely they are disquieted in vain: he heaps up riches, and does not know who will gather them”(Psalm 39:6 ^e). All these things show how little control we have, and how much we need to trust God with our lives.