Music from today
-No Greater Love
-How He Loves
-Be Thou My Vision
-Enough

Title: “Making the Most of Every Day”
Series: David’s Prayer Journal

Someone who is wise beyond their years typically demonstrates qualities of a person who is much more mature and advanced in years.
In this Psalm the writer challenges us to learn from His aged perspective so that we may become wise beyond our years and make the most of every day for the Lord.

Introduction

Moses, seems to look at life from the vantage point of old age, from where we can finally see, as God does, that our time here is short.
Let this psalm make you wise before your time (see verse 12… So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.), when you still can determine to not waste your life on things that don’t matter. Soon it will be too late.


Psalm 90 ESV
A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3 You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!”
4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.
5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning:
6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.

7 For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed.
8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10 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.
11 Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?
12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

13 Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

*** God is eternal and the brevity of life
Verses 1-6

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!”
4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.
5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning:
6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.

God is our “home” (vs 1)

Philippians 3:17-21 ESV
17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Our time here in this life is brief
We are as rootless as tumbleweeds and will be blown about all our lives unless you are our dwelling place.




*** This brevity of life has an origin
Verses 7-12

7 For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed.
8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10 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.
11 Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?
12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

In verses 7-11, we are reminded that our bodies and lives are wearing down and that death is that original natural order of things. But death is the effect of our turning away from God and the curse on all creation. (See Genesis 3:1-19)

One pastor said “If we don’t have this proper understanding of the effect of sin we will constantly be shocked by what be people (and we) are capable of and by how swiftly life takes away everything we love.”

Without this proper understanding of sin and it’s affect we will not be wise in our we live (vs 12).

*** Don’t waste your life. Make every day count by living with an eternal, God-honoring perspective


Verses 13-17

13 Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

As we continue to move through this Psalm, we see the prayer requests that Moses makes. One of them starts the last verse of the previous section…verse 12.

12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Prayer Request #1: Help me to make each day count for You, Lord (vs 12)

How?
FIRST: Recognize life is brief.
This is what Moses has already talked about in this Psalm
SECOND: Live each day for God
Live this day like it is possibly my last day

Prayer Request #2: Make me realize and experience Your love as the only thing that will satisfy my soul (vs 14)

Prayer Request #3: May our labor for You, Lord, be effective and enduring (vs 17)

Enduring…
ESV Study Bible Note: Despite the reality of death, Christ’s resurrection guarantees victory and demonstrates that work has eternal meaning
(1 Cor. 15:58).

1 Cor 15:58 ESV
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.