Homesick: A Study of Psalm 90Sample

Limits

A budget not big enough, a car not dependable enough, a muscle not strong enough, a day not long enough—these are just some of the limitations we endure. It can be difficult to accept our limits.

Think about how our limits impact our desire for home: We want to create a beautiful, calm home for our families, but our time and energy are too limited. We want our family of origin to see and understand us better, but we can’t seem to say the right words, and they can’t seem to hear. We want our home to be full of children, but our bodies endure limitations that prevent childbearing. It all feels outside of our control, and the ideal home we long for seems impossible to find.

Yesterday we considered that God has no limits of time, but in truth, God isn’t limited by anything. He’s limitless! Meanwhile, He places limits upon people. This can be uncomfortable and even make us feel annoyed or angry. Why does God limit us as He does? This question is particularly painful when God Himself seems to stand in the way of our desire for home. Oh, how we long for a place and a people where those present are always seen, loved, and enjoyed!

But Moses knows something else about God. Remember the burning bush conversation he had with God in Exodus 3, when God shared His name? In Exodus 34, God gave more information about His name. God’s name isn’t just His name—it’s His character. God describes His character like this: compassionate and gracious, abounding in faithful love. That means no matter what, when, or where, God is compassionate and gracious, abounding in faithful love.

When the limitlessly good God limits us, we can trust Him. We can know our limits (as Moses says, we can “number our days”), and God will develop in us a heart of wisdom. As we trust Him, we will learn God is creating the very thing we long for: a place and a people where those present are always seen, loved, and enjoyed!

READ: Read Psalm 90 and look for anything about limits. Read Isaiah 40:28 in the same way. Then, take a moment to journal about these questions:

1. How do you feel limited today?
2. What does Psalm 90 teach you about God’s limitlessness? How is that good news for your answer to question 1?
3. Read Psalm 90:12 and Proverbs 9:10. What can you learn from this pair of verses?