Well, my title for Psalm 90 is "The Ultimate Contrast." There is this very humbling contrast in Psalm 90 between God's eternality and our humble, weak seventy-year or so journey on this earth. It reminds me of when God was calling Moses to go down to Egypt and to confront Pharoah with liberating God's people from slavery. And Moses says, "Well, who should I say sent me?" And God says, "Say, I AM, WHO I AM." And Moses says, "But what name should I use?" And God says, "Tell them, 'I AM' sent you.
I mean, what an amazing thing to say! None of us could ever take the name, 'I AM.' We can take the name 'I was,' or 'I hope to be,' or 'I should have been,' or 'I may never be,' but that is the most outrageous, awesome way to identify yourself! "'I AM what I AM. I AM now what I have always been and will ever be, because frankly, I AM perfect!" It's just an incredible claim! Well, that claim is here in Psalm 90.
You know, we always, all of us, have moments where we just go weary of the constant change in our lives. I talk to parents about this all the time, just about the time you catch up to a stage your child is in, they move on to another stage; you always feel like you're catching up. So, when we talk about God's eternality, we're not just talking about the fact that he'd last forever, but that he is the same forever. Nothing ever changes with him.
Let me read some verses here for you from Psalm 90.
Lord, you have been our dwelling place
in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
You return man to dust
and say, "Return, O children of man!"
For a thousand years in your sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,
or as a watch in the night.
You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning:
in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.
For we are brought to an end by your anger;
by your wrath we are dismayed.
You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.
For all our days pass away under your wrath;
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
I mean, what a contrast. Here is this God who always was, who is now, and forever will be. And we bump around for seventy years in this life of toil and trouble. Listen to what it says in later verses:
So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
I mean, that's just strange language. Two things that you need to do if you accept the shortness of your life. Invest your days well. You have a limited amount of days. And be thankful for your life, even in times of trouble, because there is a God, this eternal one, who is with you in this moment, and if you're his child, will be with you forever!
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
1. Why is it comforting to you to know that God is perfect and the same from everlasting to everlasting? Why is it good news that God never changes? What would it look like for you to live day-by-day trusting that God is always the same and always perfect?
2. How does it make you feel to take a hard look at the fact that your days are limited and short? How does the contrast between God's eternality and your limitedness strike you? In what ways might it make you want to run toward God knowing that he is I AM what I AM?
3. In what ways do you think you're currently investing your days well? How are you possibly treating your days poorly or without much thought? Knowing that your days are limited, how might you go about your days with more intentionality starting now? How might you invest your time instead of just spending it?
4. How does thankfulness currently manifest itself in your life? In what ways could you pursue an attitude of thankfulness that you currently aren't? Even in times of trouble, why is it so important to count your blessings?
Conversation Prompts to Use with Children
For Younger Children:
• If God is always the same and bigger than the biggest thing that you could possibly imagine...and in comparison to him, we are always changing and teeny-tiny, why is it a big deal that God wants to be in relationship with us? Why do you think it's important to remind ourselves of how big and great and perfect God always is, no matter what?
• What do you think it looks like to live a great life? What might it look like to live a life that's wasted or worthless? Why do you think God wants us to appreciate the time we have together as a family? Why do you think God wants us to appreciate the time we have with our church family? How can we be purposeful with our time?
For Older Children:
• Why do you think it's such a big deal that God is eternal and we are not? How do you feel when a new person comes into your life and starts acting like they are in charge of your friends, or classmates, or sports team, etc.? Do you feel like they haven't earned the right to be respected just yet because they're new? Now--if God has been around for all eternity, aren't we always the new person in comparison to him? How does this make you appreciate God's love and patience toward us?
• Why might it be incredibly important to be thankful, even in times of trouble? What does thankfulness communicate to others and (more importantly) to God? Why should it be comforting to you and me that God is always with us, even when life is hard and seemingly impossible to deal with?
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