Is there anything permanent around us? Our whole society is continuing to change at a dizzying pace, and for so many of us the signs of aging are undeniable. So, while we might like to meditate on the first verses of this Psalm today: “from everlasting to everlasting, You are God,” our minds are instead drawn into the center of the psalm, with its stark recognition of the brevity of life: “in the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew. In the morning it flourishes, and sprouts anew; Toward evening it fades, and withers away.”

So, how can we deal with all this change and impermanence? How do we deal with the knowledge that life is brief? In verse 12, Moses asks God to “Teach us to number our days.” Remembering that life is short helps us put things into perspective, and encourages us to take advantage of however many days we have left, using them for God’s glory and for the good of those around us.

But if we stop there, with a steely gaze at our mortality, we will remain mere stoics. Sure, stoics tend to get a lot done. They are much more productive members of society than are the pleasure-loving hedonists all around us today. But stoicism never saved anyone. Stoicism never gave anyone a fulfilled life. No matter how stoic we may be we will all die, unless Jesus comes back first.

So how can we cope with all this change? Well, what did Moses do? Even as he recognized God’s permanence and God’s authority, he also sought the Lord’s mercy. Even though in verse 8 he confesses the sins of his generation, he relies on the character of His God, and of our God. In verse 14 he prays, “O satisfy us in the morning with Thy lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” In short, Moses depends on God’s mercy, on God’s faithful, covenant love that He freely bestows on His people. And that loving, faithful character of our God is something that we too can count on.

And why can we be so sure of God’s mercies? Because, as Moses says in verse 1, God Himself is our dwelling place in all generations, our eternal home. Through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ, all who trust in Him aren’t just forgiven. We aren’t just protected. We are joined to Him, connected to our living Lord as a body is connected to a head. And that means that, no matter what is going on around us, His Spirit lives within us, empowering us to live as He lives and love as He loves.

So let’s rejoice in Christ today. Let’s rely on His mercy and let His light shine through us, no matter how dark the world may be.

Psalm 90 (NAS)

A Prayer of Moses the man of God.
Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were born, Or Thou didst give birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.
3 Thou dost turn man back into dust, And dost say, “Return, O children of men.”
4 For a thousand years in Thy sight Are like yesterday when it passes by, Or as a watch in the night.
5 Thou hast swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep; In the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew.
6 In the morning it flourishes, and sprouts anew; Toward evening it fades, and withers away.
7 For we have been consumed by Thine anger, And by Thy wrath we have been dismayed.
8 Thou hast placed our iniquities before Thee, Our secret sins in the light of Thy presence.
9 For all our days have declined in Thy fury; We have finished our years like a sigh.
10 As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away.
11 Who understands the power of Thine anger, And Thy fury, according to the fear that is due Thee?
12 So teach us to number our days, That we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom.
13 Do return, O LORD; how long will it be? And be sorry for Thy servants.
14 O satisfy us in the morning with Thy lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad according to the days Thou hast afflicted us, And the years we have seen evil.
16 Let Thy work appear to Thy servants, And Thy majesty to their children.
17 And let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And do confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands.