Psalm 90
1 Lord, through all the generations
you have been our home!
2 2 Before the mountains were born,
before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
from beginning to end, you are God.
you have been our home!
2 2 Before the mountains were born,
before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
from beginning to end, you are God.
God is the beginning and the end. Time and space and seasons only exist within His creation, but He is not defined by them. It's a hard concept for our minds to grasp, but it's important for us to understand. God does not work within the confines of time as we know it. Everything has its beginning in Him, including our life's purpose. If we want to understand the seasons we find ourselves in, we will only find the answers in God Himself.
3 You turn people back to dust, saying,
“Return to dust, you mortals!”
4 4 For you, a thousand years are as a passing day,
as brief as a few night hours.
5 5 You sweep people away like dreams that disappear.
They are like grass that springs up in the morning.
6 6 In the morning it blooms and flourishes,
but by evening it is dry and withered.
7 7 We wither beneath your anger;
we are overwhelmed by your fury.
8 8 You spread out our sins before you—
our secret sins—and you see them all.
9 9 We live our lives beneath your wrath,
ending our years with a groan.
“Return to dust, you mortals!”
4 4 For you, a thousand years are as a passing day,
as brief as a few night hours.
5 5 You sweep people away like dreams that disappear.
They are like grass that springs up in the morning.
6 6 In the morning it blooms and flourishes,
but by evening it is dry and withered.
7 7 We wither beneath your anger;
we are overwhelmed by your fury.
8 8 You spread out our sins before you—
our secret sins—and you see them all.
9 9 We live our lives beneath your wrath,
ending our years with a groan.
Look again at verse four. Our lifetime is just a drop of water in the vast ocean of God's infinite existence. This group of verses may sound harsh, but our God is just and holy and perfect and sin will always be detestable to Him. The consequences of the sin of humanity since the beginning of our world have grown and multiplied until it seems sometimes that we experience only the wrath of God rather than His love and blessing. His perfection should create a holy fear within us.
10 10 Seventy years are given to us!
Some even live to eighty.
11 But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble;
soon they disappear, and we fly away.
11 12 Who can comprehend the power of your anger?
Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve.
12 13 Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
so that we may grow in wisdom.
Some even live to eighty.
11 But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble;
soon they disappear, and we fly away.
11 12 Who can comprehend the power of your anger?
Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve.
12 13 Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
so that we may grow in wisdom.
Again the Psalmist reminds us that our lives are so incredibly short in light of the vastness of God. And during our short lives we manage to get ourselves so tangled up in sin and pain and heartache that we can come to the end and wonder what we have actually accomplished. But in verse 13, the Psalmist gives us a glimpse of hope- the secret to actually making the most of our speck of time here on the earth:
to realize the brevity (shortness, briefness) of life, that we may grow in wisdom.
Once we fully grasp how short our lives are, we are able to make wiser decisions about how we spend our days. We CAN and DO have purpose here, despite how small we are in the scope of eternity.
14 O Lord, come back to us!
How long will you delay?
Take pity on your servants!
14 15 Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love,
so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.
15 16 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery!
Replace the evil years with good.
16 17 Let us, your servants, see you work again;
let our children see your glory.
17 18 And may the Lord our God show us his approval
and make our efforts successful.
Yes, make our efforts successful!
How long will you delay?
Take pity on your servants!
14 15 Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love,
so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.
15 16 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery!
Replace the evil years with good.
16 17 Let us, your servants, see you work again;
let our children see your glory.
17 18 And may the Lord our God show us his approval
and make our efforts successful.
Yes, make our efforts successful!
I love how this chapter concludes- with a God who is able to redeem our sin and a desire to live in the presence, joy and love of a God who cares about His children and gives their lives purpose and meaning. And as verse 17 shows, when we seek to see God work in our generation, His glory will be revealed to the generation after us. Our lives may be short, but what we pass on to our children and grandchildren and great grandchildren becomes like a ripple effect in vast sea. It may start small, but it continues on and reaches shores that we will never know or realize.
Every season, every day, every moment should be lived with an intentional awareness of how short our lives are, but how great a difference we can make when we live those days for the glory of God. What will you do today that will make a difference for generations to come?
God, help me to realize that a thousand years is like a day to you. My life is so short, but you have given me the opportunity to affect future generations by living each day and season intentionally. Help me not to get so caught up in sin and selfishness that I waste seasons of my life living under your wrath when I could be living under your blessing. I want every moment to count. Use my life for your glory, God.
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