Devotional Index

July Devotional

The Preciousness of Life

How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! - Psalms 139:17

As we enjoy all the fireworks, reunions, and picnics to celebrate our independence as a nation, we must never forget the sacrifice of those who have given their lives for our freedom. No one understands the preciousness of life more than those who are serving or who have already served our country in the United States military. On my way home from serving in Beirut, Lebanon, as a U.S. Marine 21 years ago, the thought came to me that every day is a gift. Just as we have a heart of appreciation toward the Lord Jesus Christ for giving us the gift of eternal life, we also should have a sense of appreciation toward our God that has given unto us the breath of life.

In Psalm 139, David writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and gives us many reasons why we ought to view life as precious. The death of Saul did not remove all the obstacles that stood in the way of David taking his rightful position as king. Ishbosheth, Saul's son, and Abner, Saul's powerful General, continued to produce discord in the nation well after Saul's death. It wasn't until after the assassination of Abner and the murder of Ishbosheth that a gathering of over 300,000 soldiers submitted themselves to David in Hebron. After three days of celebration, David sat down and penned this personal understanding and awareness of God.

Out of our view of God flows our view of life. This brings in the reality that we must know God in order to have the proper view of life. David begins by expressing God's personal knowledge of his activities, directions, thoughts, and words. David understood also the forever loving presence of a God who cares. Reaching then the peak of his praise, David communicates both the quality (precious) and the quantity (great are the sum of them) of God's thoughts toward him. Knowing God's presence brings security as well as knowing God's providence brings stability. In our country, the home of the brave, the preciousness of life is diminishing because of the lack of the knowledge of God. We, then, must teach our children, loved ones, and neighbors that the most important thing in life is to know God. We do this by knowing His Son Jesus Christ as Saviour.

—Dean Howell