Days as Handbreadths
Psalms 90:9–17
“All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. If only we knew the power of Your anger! Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due. Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Relent, LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as You have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. May Your deeds be shown to Your servants, Your splendor to their children. May the favor of the LORD our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.”
The song says, “Turn my eyes away from searching for lesser glory, turn my eyes; and teach my heart with all Your wisdom to live for Heaven, teach my heart”. We seek wisdom and instruction from The One Who sees from eternity past to eternity future, who breathed the universe, space-time, and all that’s in it into existence. He is grand and we’d do best on earth by living for Him and proclaiming His truth and love to all, that others may seek Him, find Him, know, like, and trust Him. Friends, the God who was faithful to the Israelites is the same God who is faithful to us! The Living Life writer notes, “God is our dwelling place, our place of habitation, protection, and refreshment. He is eternally good and caring. God is both our Creator and our Master. He brought the world into existence, and He is actively involved in our lives. He directs us, and we are to obey Him. Though He is the God who is close to us, He is infinitely different from us. He alone is God, from everlasting to everlasting. We can therefore depend on Him.” Let us redeem the time, centre our perspectives, focus our lives for His glory after all, we are ultimately called to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27).” God sees through time and beyond and so we can humbly ask as Moses did in this psalm and as King Solomon’s proverbs, "show me, O LORD, my end and the measure of my days. Let me know how fleeting my life is. You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each person at her best exists as but a breath (Prov 39:4-5).” With today’s letter to God, let us pray: “Father, this brief life of mine can only make sense in You. I want to live the rest of my life for Your glory. Please help me to live wisely by investing what You have given me for Your purposes. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
“All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. If only we knew the power of Your anger! Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due. Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Relent, LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as You have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. May Your deeds be shown to Your servants, Your splendor to their children. May the favor of the LORD our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.”
The song says, “Turn my eyes away from searching for lesser glory, turn my eyes; and teach my heart with all Your wisdom to live for Heaven, teach my heart”. We seek wisdom and instruction from The One Who sees from eternity past to eternity future, who breathed the universe, space-time, and all that’s in it into existence. He is grand and we’d do best on earth by living for Him and proclaiming His truth and love to all, that others may seek Him, find Him, know, like, and trust Him. Friends, the God who was faithful to the Israelites is the same God who is faithful to us! The Living Life writer notes, “God is our dwelling place, our place of habitation, protection, and refreshment. He is eternally good and caring. God is both our Creator and our Master. He brought the world into existence, and He is actively involved in our lives. He directs us, and we are to obey Him. Though He is the God who is close to us, He is infinitely different from us. He alone is God, from everlasting to everlasting. We can therefore depend on Him.” Let us redeem the time, centre our perspectives, focus our lives for His glory after all, we are ultimately called to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27).” God sees through time and beyond and so we can humbly ask as Moses did in this psalm and as King Solomon’s proverbs, "show me, O LORD, my end and the measure of my days. Let me know how fleeting my life is. You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each person at her best exists as but a breath (Prov 39:4-5).” With today’s letter to God, let us pray: “Father, this brief life of mine can only make sense in You. I want to live the rest of my life for Your glory. Please help me to live wisely by investing what You have given me for Your purposes. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
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