Psalm 39

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; do not be silent at my tears; for I am a stranger with You, a sojourner, as all my fathers were. Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength, before I go away and am no more.”  Psalm 39:12-13 (NKJV)

We have all, no doubt, seen movies where a military leader is inspecting his troops. I picture the long military parades common in Communist countries, where miles of soldiers march and a nation’s power is on display to encourage its citizens and intimidate its enemies. There is also the more personal inspection of a drill sergeant with his boot camp recruits. Far from a display of polished medals and military hardware, the drill sergeant looks for the slightest imperfection. His goal is to teach the entire unit how the carelessness of a single soldier can affect them all. No boot camp soldier wants the drill instructor to stop abruptly, turn on a dime, and stare him down.  

That is the picture David paints of the gaze of God. David has messed up. He had promised to “guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue.” But then, when he was unguarded and goofing off (“While I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue.”), David shot his mouth off in a way that demanded the rebuke of God.

Yes, God is loving, gracious, and kind, but He is also just and demands that His followers discipline themselves. It is not just an Old Testament idea; Jesus calls us all to be “disciples.” And what is a disciple but a person who disciplines themselves to follow the Lord, saying “no” to the flesh and “yes” to God and His Word?

You may wonder what the big deal is. We live in a generation that shoots its mouth off on Twitter & Facebook, 24-7! Well, the “gaze of God” is more than just a glance. When God gazes at you, He is scanning your whole being, soul & all, as a TSA agent X-rays airplane passengers. And by no means do you want to glare back at God as if you could find fault with His judgment and call His character into account!

“And he (Moses) said, ‘Please, show me Your glory.’ Then He said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’ But He said, ‘You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.’ And the Lord said, ‘Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.’” Exodus 33:18-23 (NKJV)

David knew he was guilty and that God had no problem identifying David’s pride, the source of his sin. But David knew as we know. While God is a righteous judge, He is also gracious and merciful. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)