Sometimes you can’t find a kind word anywhere. A quick two-day trip to Atlanta and back this week has messed up my internal clock to the degree that I awoke at 3 AM and wasn’t able to get back to sleep. I foresee a nap in my future. 

The new medicine I am taking made me so dizzy when I rolled out of bed that I was afraid I might fall. My first cup of coffee was so good, I can’t wait for the next one. Dark roast has a way of reviving one’s soul and stabilizing one’s steps on these occasions.

Early travel a couple of days ago put me a day behind in my Bible reading plan. Today’s early start helped me catch up. A doctor’s appointment today may end with an unpleasant set of instructions. Naturally, I was looking for some encouraging words as I took up Ezekiel and the Psalms this morning. Unfortunately, Ezekiel is pronouncing judgment on everyone in today’s chapters. 

The Book of Psalms is almost always encouraging, but not today. Check out the two verses at the top of the page. Yesterday’s psalm wasn’t much better. A guy with back pain would probably prefer something other than 38:6:

“I am bent over and brought very low; 
all day long I go around in mourning.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭38‬:‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬

(Sigh)

King David and I are going to have some long talks one of these days. 

My favorite part of Psalm 39 is the pause after verse 5. That’s what the word Selah indicates. Sometimes, we pause to celebrate. Sometimes, we pause to reflect. Sometimes, we pause to take stock of where we are. Sometimes, we pause as we are reminded of how time shifts depending on our season of life and the circumstances we face. 

King David was living through bent-over, grievous days. There are at least two things to note about this. One, bent-over, grievous days come to all of us, even the best of us. Two, we can turn to God with our pain and our problems when we are bent over and weighed down. 

Sometimes, the bent-over part requires a good doctor. Sometimes, grief requires a season of tears and sighs. 

King David played on this idea of sighs here. The last word of verse five in the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) is vapor. Other translations render this word breath (NIV, NLT), and puff of air (CEB). 

(Selah)

One last thing. Often, we are told to take a deep breath before we do something that causes us anxiety. Consider the fact that deep breaths are what we take when we are ready to run, ready to take a plunge, or after we have exerted ourselves. 

Deep breaths do not relax us. Breathing out does. 

KD says our lives are puffs of air. We are but breath. And then he helps us sigh along with him. Who is the giver of the breath of life? Return to Genesis 2:7 for the answer. Who receives our last breath? The same answer applies. 

KD says our first inhale and last exhale each belongs to God. Every breath we take between the first and last is a gift from him. Sometimes, this gift is best expended in laughter and singing, and sometimes, it is best invested in sighs and cries. 

Breath is evidence of God’s presence and provision. It is one of God’s best gifts. 

Just about all of us took our first breaths with a cry. Some of us will exhale our last in the same manner. Just like doctors and nurses, moms and dads wiped away those first tears from our eyes, our Father in Heaven will one day, ultimately, finally, forever do the same. 

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I will ponder God’s presence and provision with every breath I take.

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Our Father, you are the Giver of the Breath of Life. You turned our first cries into beautiful music. Thank you for how you will turn our last breath into eternal praise and thanksgiving. Amen.