What does Psalm 39:12 mean?

In this verse David asks God to answer his prayer. This does not mean David believes God will ignore him completely. Even in repentant sorrow, he had faith that God could see, hear, and forgive him (Psalm 38:21–22). This appeal is for God to act quickly; it emphasizes the pain which David experiences.

Scripture makes it clear that sin and sorrow are close cousins. Sin disrupts a believer's fellowship with God, and therefore the believer has no peace. It leads to earthly consequences, so the sinner has reason to fear those results. When David sinned with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:7–9), he felt the crushing weight of godly conviction. In Psalm 32:3–4, he compares his suffering to a debilitating disease and the sense that God was against him. Also, his sin drained David of his joy. He prayed in Psalm 51:12, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation."

David correctly saw himself as a temporary resident of earthly life. This perspective was echoed by those praised in Scripture for their great faith in God (Hebrews 11:13–16). It is important to notice, though, that David defined himself as a sojourner with the Lord. He was not traveling alone (Deuteronomy 31:8; Matthew 28:20) As believers travel to heaven, the Lord is with them always (Hebrews 13:5).