Daily Scripture: Day 150—Psalm 90

From Handbook to Scripture, Day 150

READING: PSALM 90

As “A prayer of Moses, the man of God” this is the oldest of the 150 psalms in the biblical Psalter. This thoughtful and poignant meditation on the brevity of human life was written almost 3,400 years ago, probably near the end of the wilderness wanderings of the children of Israel when Moses was in his final years. In spite of its antiquity, the message of this psalm speaks to our time with particular relevance and force. It begins with a brilliant contrast between the eternality of God and the brevity of human existence on earth, and the pivotal verse asks the Lord to “teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom” (verse 12). This psalm invites us to embrace an eternal perspective in a temporal world.

Prayer: Lord, I know that I cannot keep score by two systems. May I make the decision each day to be defined by the eternal so that I will not be defined by default by the temporal world system.

Meditation passage: verses 1–2, 12, 17