Psalm 90

 Psalm 90 This psalm is "a prayer of Moses the man of God".   It focuses on the eternal existence of God in contrast to the brief existence of men.  It is a psalm that we need to read often.. reminding ourselves that our days on this earth are numbered and we need to live in a way that matters.

He starts out with recognizing the truth about our God:

v1 "Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains.. before the earth.. Even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God."   Tozer says it this way.. "From the vanishing point to the vanishing point!.. The mind looks backward in time till the dim past vanishes, then turns and looks into the future til thought and imagination collapse from exhaustion; and God is at both points, unaffected by either."  Past and future have no effect on God...time does not apply to Him. "God dwells in eternity but time dwells in God. He has already lived all our tomorrows as He has lived all our yesterdays.."   Not only that but God "appears at the beginning and end of time simultaneously.. " 

Thinking of this psalm, Tozer continues.. "We who live in this nervous age would be wise to meditate on our lives and our days long and often before the face of God and on the edge of eternity. For we are made for eternity as certainly as we are made for time, and as responsible moral beings we must deal with both."   (From The Knowledge of the Holy)

In contrast to the eternal God.. our lives are truly like a "wisp of smoke"..  Moses wrote, "For a thousand years in Thy sight are like yesterday when it passes by.. "  We are like the morning grass, he writes, "In the morning it flourishes... toward evening it fades and withers away.. "  We know this is so true.. we hardly remember where the days have gone.. another week.. another month.. another year flies by and we shake our heads and wonder.. how can I be this old?  How can my children.. my grandchildren be so grown up already? Where did the years go?

These truth, Moses writes, should make us remember.. God has seen our sins.. He has condemned our iniquities.. He told Adam in the garden that he would surely die because of his sin.. We know the scripture that tells us that" it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes the judgement." (Hebrews 9:27) 

 Moses prays, "Who understands the power of Thine anger?"  For, if we truly do understand this truth.. that sin arouses the wrath and fury of our God.. then and only then will we "fear" Him as he is "due." 

But, thankfully,  we are not without hope!  Moses makes this petition.. "So teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom."   Let us take time to contemplate the limited number of days that we have in this briskly moving stream of time.. to make the most of every hour that He gives us. 

How?  "O satisfy us in the morning with Thy lovingkindness, that we may sing for joy and be glad in our days."   Making the most of our time on this planet begins, most importantly, with fellowship with Him!  "Let Thy work appear to Thy servants.. and do confirm for us the work of our hands.."  All that we do.. we are to do "as for the Lord." .. for His favor.. to see His majesty.. for our children to know Him in all His glory and goodness and love. 

Father in heaven, teach us these things.. that we might also walk with You in faith and love.. that we might worship You in spirit and in truth; and that we might love You with all our hearts and souls and minds and strength. For we ask this in the Name of our Lord Jesus, who has rescued us from sin and death, by the sacrifice He made on the cross.  In Him we have the blessed hope of eternity with You.  Hallelujah! Amen.