Psalm 90 shows the depravity of man and the power and might of God. It also shows God’s heart for mankind and His great generosity.
Psalm 90:1-2 “Lord, through all the generations
you have been our home!
2 Before the mountains were born,
before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
from beginning to end, you are God.” The psalmist is thinking about the eternality and the faithfulness of God towards man. He has always been there for us.
In verses 3-6, You turn people back to dust, saying,
“Return to dust, you mortals!”
4 For you, a thousand years are as a passing day,
as brief as a few night hours.
5 You sweep people away like dreams that disappear.
They are like grass that springs up in the morning.
6 In the morning it blooms and flourishes,
but by evening it is dry and withered. The psalmist extols the fragility of man and the fleetingness of our lives. God is timeless but not man.
In verses 7-12, We wither beneath your anger;
we are overwhelmed by your fury.
8 You spread out our sins before you—
our secret sins—and you see them all.
9 We live our lives beneath your wrath,
ending our years with a groan. 10 Seventy years are given to us!
Some even live to eighty.
But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble;
soon they disappear, and we fly away.
11 Who can comprehend the power of your anger?
Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve. 12 Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
so that we may grow in wisdom. God is angry over sin, rightly so, God abhors sin. As we live with a sin nature fighting within us, we can experience pain and trouble. The psalmist asks for wisdom from God that he might grow in Him in his short lifetime. As we confront our own sin, our faith in Jesus helps us to grow in the time God has allotted us.
In verses 13-17, O Lord, come back to us!
How long will you delay?
Take pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love,
so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.
15 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery!
Replace the evil years with good.
16 Let us, your servants, see you work again;
let our children see your glory.
17 And may the Lord our God show us his approval
and make our efforts successful.
Yes, make our efforts successful! The psalmist concludes with a plea to God for compassion and love, for gladness in proportion to his suffering, that good would replace evil years, to be able to see God at work and that his children would see God’s glory. Lastly, he asks God for His approval, that He could see that God was pleased.
Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, we can lay our hearts before God in prayer and know He is listening and will respond. Hebrews 4:16, we can approach God, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Philippians 4:6-7 “ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Psalm 4:3 “But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.”
Linda
Fearless Living 