"Lighter Than Breath"

Psalm 62 is full of rich truth, and it's hard to pour out just one drop in order to confine my post.  In only twelve verses, David profoundly proclaims the vast chasm between God and man.  And his phrase "lighter than breath" as translated by the New American Standard aroused my attention immediately.

Scripture proclaims time and again the short stay of man on the earth.  To sit and meditate on eternity in relation to the "dot" of time on it's line is an exercise of staggering proportions.  But add man's place on that dot, and, quite frankly, I shut down.  The Bible makes man's fleeting moment clear in its description with phrases as in Psalm 103, "we are but dust", "days are like grass", "as a flower...when the wind passes over it, it is no more", and "its place acknowledges it no more".  That last one really stabs me with thought: "It's place acknowledges it no more."  We tend to think of ourselves as so important.  But when death comes, it's over.  And we realize the brevity of it all as we watch that occur with family and friends.

There are many more phrases in the Bible referring to our short earthly stay, but the one for this post is new to me, one I had not noticed in previous readings of Psalms: "lighter than breath".  The context from verses nine and ten is talking about men, poor and rich "are together lighter than breath".  Think about it.  There is no substance whatsoever to our breath.  True it is what keeps us alive, but blow a little out and try to touch it or hold it.  Why we can't even see it.  In the winter you might blow it on a cold window and write out your name  if you're quick enough, but all in all, it's one of those mind-boggling reminders of the transient state of man.

So, what's the purpose of this post?  God is mindful of us.  God's mind is full of us.  That is why He sent Jesus to redeem us, to change us.  What are our thoughts of Him?  And when grappling with the reality that we are "together lighter than breath", let that lead you to rest in our all-powerful Creator who cares for us in our low estate.  WOW!  Blows me away!!