Loving God, blaze clear the path for the life of this dear reader today and all days; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for today comes from Psalm 90: 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 turn us back to dust, and say, "Turn back, you mortals." 4 For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night. 5 You sweep them away; 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 consumed by your anger; by your wrath we are overwhelmed. 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your countenance. 9 For all our days pass away under your wrath; our years come to an end like a sigh. 10 The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. 11 Who considers the power of your anger? Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you. 12 So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart. 13 Turn, O Lord! How long? Have compassion on your servants! 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us, and as many years as we have seen evil. 16 Let your work be manifest to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. 17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands— O prosper the work of our hands! (NRSV) (To read the modern version The Message click here: http://www.biblestudytools.com/msg/psalms/90.html).
This is one of the passages where an older translation of this passage is more appropriate than the modern one, in my opinion. It's an honest account of the Psalmist's life at that point and through prayer we can truly understand what he is trying to say to, and about, God. It's a reflective psalm as he is at a reflective point in his life and the biggest issue confronting him is his mortality and on top of that, his sinfulness. Not a happy place to be, but a necessary one. We all have those days when we're honest with God and with ourselves and we take stock of who we are and where we have been. We realize that not all our steps were God-directed. Not all our words and actions were God-pleasing. And we realize that the day may be soon coming when we will be called to account for these choices. Though we may not hear it preached very often, the Old Testament does speak a lot about God's wrath and anger. And it's usually directed towards those who make sinful decisions at some points in their lives. Is it any wonder that Wesley asked that all who wanted to join a class in the Methodist movement had to answer the question, "Are you willing to flee the coming wrath of God?"
The writer comes to an important decision point where he seeks forgiveness and compassion from God. And he seeks to want to please God more times than the times he has saddened God. Is it too much to ask that God's favor be upon God's people? Of course he realizes as do we, that God's favor does come our way and we recognize it more easily when we're seeking to do God's will than when we're wandering far away from God.
Where are you today?
PRAYER: Loving God, may I seek to close to You today. Let my eyes see Your favor upon me as my hands labor to please You. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
