A
Waste of Breath
I balanced all, brought all to mind,
The years to come seemed waste of breath,
A waste of breath the years behind
In balance with this life, this death.
—W.B. Yeats
David was furious with God,
but he didn't want to vent his rage in public: I said, “I will
guard my ways; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle…” (39:11).
But David could not restrain
himself: "My heart was hot within me, While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue”: Why have you made us this way: short-lived,
transient, ephemeral—”mere breath?" (39:11)
We work hard to accumulate
things only to leave them for others to enjoy (39:6). We have nothing to show
for a lifetime of effort but suffering and a solitary grave. Hobbes was right:
Life is "nasty, brutish and short.”
At least, that’s the way
David felt on this occasion: Life is short and full of trouble. And then we
die.
There's no resolution in the
psalm. No respite; only resignation and a bitter cry: “Give me a break, cut me
some slack before it's too late and I'm out of here" (39:13, The
Message)
It’s significant to me that
God allowed this psalm to stand as it is—a witness to the fact that
He understands how frustrated and angry we can be when things aren't going our
way.
God is safe. You can tell Him
off now and then.
David Roper
8.23.17
E-musings are archived at http://davidroper.blogspot.com
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