Daily Bible Reading – March 2023, "God’s Saving Word: Prayer"Намуна

March 20

Introduction

This psalm is a communal prayer reflecting the human quest to understand life’s meaning, particularly as life draws to a close. It juxtaposes the eternal nature of God with the shortness of human life. In this psalm, the Lord is called “our home,” and the psalm was most likely written in response to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Before that time, “home” or “house” in the psalms would have referred to the Temple.

Scripture Reading

Psalm 90

Today’s Key Verse: Psalm 90:1, 2

O Lord, you have always been our home. Before you created the hills or brought the world into being, you were eternally God and will be God forever.

Reflect

This psalm begins by affirming God’s eternal nature and everlasting care for humankind (verses 1, 2), followed by describing the brevity of life (verses 3-10) and concluding with a prayer for redemption (verses 11-17). What are your thoughts regarding the verses about God’s anger (verses 7-13)? What does the writer ask of God? A beloved hymn, “O God, Our Help in Ages Past,” is based on Psalm 90, and you may wish to compare the words of the psalm with this hymn.

Pray

O God, you are our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, and our eternal home. Fill me each morning with your constant love, and may your favor rest upon me each day of my life. Amen.

And now, join us in thanking God that survivors of the genocide in Rwanda are experiencing healing through God’s Word. Holy God, we grieve the Rwandan genocide in 1994 that killed more than 800,000, primarily Tutsi people. But today, we also rejoice that pastors are learning of the Bible Society’s Trauma Healing ministry and are helping genocide survivors experience true peace and freedom in Jesus. Gracious God, thank you that people who have suffered greatly are receiving Bibles and powerful Scripture resources. Thank you, God, for the generosity of Bible Society supporters who provide hope and healing to survivors of this brutal war. Amen.

Tomorrow’s Reading

Psalm 91: A psalm expressing trust in God.