You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
    My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
    at best, each of us is but a breath.”
Psalm 39:5

The writer of today’s psalm finds time to simply think about his life.  Let’s go right away to verses 4 and 5. 

“Lord remind me how brief my time on earth will be.  Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away.  My life is no longer than the width of my hand.  An entire lifetime is just a  moment to you; human existence is but a breath.”  (New Living Translation)

I’m old enough to be your grandfather.  Yet it doesn’t seem very long ago that I looked at myself in a mirror when I was five years old.  I can still see my young face.  I had a great feeling of thanks to God for creating me.   

The next time you’re outside, lift up one arm.  The width of your hand is very small against the sky stretched out before you.  How short our lifetime is against the big stretch of God’s life flowing on and on forever.  Compared with God, our lives are just like one breath.  But when we die, we’ll live on and on with God.

Psalm 39

Examples of Bible Breaths Learn More…

With you, Lord, my future bright v. 4
Human life is but a breath. v. 5
All my things will pass away. v. 6
Listen, Lord, when I am sad v. 12

Check out Study Tools in BibleGateway.
I especially recommend the free resource
in Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

We read the Psalms in numerical order on Wednesdays

These Firestarters are from a new edition of The Bible Through the Seasons being developed for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or table! Check the menu options at the site for more information.

 David replied to Michal, “I was celebrating before the Lord, who chose me over your father and his entire family, and who appointed me leader over the Lord’s people, over Israel—
and I will celebrate before the Lord again!”
2 Samuel 6:21

What do you do when you get super excited?  I’ll bet you jump around and maybe spin about in circles.  When we experience great joy and happiness our bodies want to express what we feel way inside.
That’s the way it was for David.  He was excited about the special chest that carried the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments.  It was called “The Ark of the Covenant.” It went with our Jewish ancestors who wandered for forty years in the desert. Now it was finally coming to rest. It gave the feeling that God too had come home.  It’s like what happens to us when we finally return after a long vacation.  Home is really where we want to be.

Michal was proud and stuck up.  She was the daughter of Saul, the first king of Israel.  She hated David for his jumping and dancing all around.  Sometimes others get jealous when we are so happy.  That’s OK.  Just love those people anyway, and don’t get caught in their nasty feelings.  What others think of us is really none of our business!

2 Samuel 6:12-21

Examples of Bible Breaths Learn More…

Finding You in everything vv. 11-12
Joyous dance in Your presence v. 14
Lord, protect me from envy. v. 16
You chose me to serve you, Lord. v. 21

Check out Study Tools in BibleGateway.
I especially recommend the free resource
in Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Tuesdays are dedicated to the Old Testament books of history
and the Hebrew “Writings.”

These Firestarters are for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or table! Check the menu options at the site for more information.

 ...until a spirit from on high
    is poured out on us,
    and the desert turns into farmland,
and the farmland is considered a forest.
Isaiah 32:15

Isaiah and other writers of the Bible had a big challenge. “How can we tell others about our great and wonderful experiences of God?”  They looked around at objects and scenes that suddenly gave them the feeling of, “Ah Ha!  That’s what God is like!”  

     Isaiah thinks about two aspects of being in a desert to tell what God is like.  What happens when someone dying of thirst suddenly stumbles upon a stream in the desert?  The person jumps for joy, running and skipping to fill his hands with the refreshing water to quench his thirst.  The other object is a large rock in the desert that someone finds so that he can sit in its shade as relief from the burning sun.

Picture yourself out in a desert.  Imagine feeling thirsty and hot. Then you find a stream and a rock.     The imagination can give us the feeling, without ever really going into a desert.  Then you’ll have the same experience of God that Isaiah has.  Isaiah would be so happy about that!    

Isaiah 32:2-8; 15-20

Examples of Bible Breaths Learn More…

You, a stream in the desert v. 2
You a rock: shade from the sun v. 2
With You, Lord, all comes to life v. 15
Your people living in peace v. 18

Check out Study Tools in BibleGateway.
I especially recommend the free resource
in Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Mondays are dedicated to the reading of the Hebrew Prophets.

These Firestarters are for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or table! Check the menu options at the site for more information.