Rooted and Grounded

What can we learn about the eternal nature of God and the fleeting nature of man from Psalm 90?

In the opening verses, we learn that God is outside of time and so time is nothing to Him. In verse 2, the Psalmist says, “before the mountains were born . . .” and “from everlasting to everlasting.” In verse 4, we read, “a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night (4-6 hours).”

We, on the other hand are so consumed with and by time. In verses 5 to 6, man is compared to grass which “in the morning . . . flourishes and springs up,” but by evening “it wilts and withers away.”

After considering that so much, if not all, of our lives are wasted doing that which angers God and brings His wrath against us, the Psalmist prays for clarity–to understand God as He is and to understand ourselves and our limitations. He prays in verse 12, “teach us to number our days, that we may cultivate and bring to You a heart of wisdom.”

May that be our prayer as well. Teach us, O God, to understand how short the time is for each of us and teach us to use our time well, for Your glory, for Kingdom business.