Psalm 90 reminds me of a family heritage. Some people associate themselves with a nationality, or a region, or a religion because that is where their family has its roots. Often they do not speak the language, or visit the land, or even attend the service, but they believe it is who they are. It can be a source of pride and strength that goes back generations. It can also cause us to hold on to things that keep us bound. This psalm takes us back to creation to help us contrast time and the Timeless One. He begins, “Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born… from everlasting to everlasting you are God“. God is eternal. He sits outside His creation. He lives outside of time and knows the beginning from the end. Man, on the other hand, turns “back to dust“. We have a hard time grasping that “a thousand years in Your sight are like a day“. We are “like the new grass… in the morning it springs up… by evening it is dry and withered“. He explains that God has perfect knowledge, and has the right to judge us. “We are consumed by Your anger and terrified by Your indignation. You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence“. I believe we have a choice to deal with our sin now, or later. We can continue to hide, ignore and pretend, and “finish our years with a moan“. Or we can seek forgiveness and reconciliation. Peace with God can happen right now, personally and individually. God desires a relationship, not a heritage. The faith of our grandparents does not give us any favor with God.
I believe this psalm was written by someone that had lived a long time but had not honored God for much of his life. He seems to be full of regrets. “The length of our days is seventy years or eighty… their span is but trouble and sorrow… they quickly pass“. He asks out loud, “Who knows the power of Your anger?“. He seems to be speaking for all the young people in his life, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom“. I remember talking to an old man that used to clean our church every Saturday. That was his way of expressing thanks to God. He told me that he was not a good man and he had lived a hard life. He saw his influence in the lives of his children and grandchildren. He was almost 70 years old when he accepted Christ as his Savior and from that day until the end, I think he lived each day with appreciation and a smile on his face. He wanted every one of his offspring to know God’s peace. Those who come from troubled homes do not have to carry that heritage forward.
Families that have a tradition of service to God can also get out of balance. We can begin to think that God needs us and that we are His assistants. If we are not carful we can start believing we have earned God’s blessings. Nonsense! God gave us the Savior because we have all fallen short and only sinless perfection can pay the debt that is due. The psalmist intercedes on behalf of his people, “Relent, O Lord!“. He prays, “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“. It is clear to me that those that have experienced the greatest pain have the most powerful transformation. He adds, “Make us glad” and asks that God would give abundant joy to overcome the “many years as we have seen trouble“. He prays for “Your servants” and “to their children“. The psalm closes with hope for a new birthright. He desires that our lives would reflect the influence of being part of the family of God. “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us yes, establish the work of our hands“. Hey, it’s a new morning, maybe God trying to do something new in you?