In the aftermath of a devastating tornado, a man stood outside what was left of his home. Scattered somewhere among the rubble inside were some pieces of his wife’s jewellery and his own valuable collectables. But the man had no intention of going inside the unstable house to search for them. “It’s not worth dying for,” he said.

In times of crisis, our sense of what is truly important in life often comes into clearer focus.

In Psalm 90, “A Prayer of Moses”, this man of God looks at life from beginning to end. In light of the brevity of life (vv.4-6) and the realisation of God’s righteous anger (vv.7-11), Moses makes a plea to God for understanding: “Teach us to number our days and recognise how few they are; help us to spend them as we should” (v.12 tlb).

Moses continues this psalm with an appeal to God’s love: “Have compassion on Your servants. Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy” (vv.13-14). He concludes with a prayer for the future: “Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us” (v.17).

Our numbered days and the shortness of life call us to take hold of God’s eternal love and, like Moses, to focus on the most important things.

Author

David C. McCasland

Topics

Our Daily Bread