Psalm 90:1-12 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 90:1-12 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Verse 2Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Verse 3You turn us back to dust, and say, "Turn back, you mortals."
Verse 4For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night.
Verse 5You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning;
Verse 6in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.
Verse 7For we are consumed by your anger; by your wrath we are overwhelmed.
Verse 8You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your countenance.
Verse 9For all our days pass away under your wrath; our years come to an end like a sigh.
Verse 10The 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.
Verse 11Who considers the power of your anger? Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.
Verse 12So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.
Devotion
In the different communities that I am a part of, we can be obsessed with time. I recently listened to a lecture on the history of the wrist watch. The speaker provided some interesting new information, but then shared that even though he had many valuable watches, he was still often late. The Bible often speaks of God's time as Kairos, the time of opportunity and the promise of tomorrow, while the days and years in which we live is called Chronos. Chronos is a gift that orders and limits our days on the earth. The unfortunate reality is that we often let the gift of Chronos drive us without being open to the possibility that God's promising Kairos might be at play in our lives. The psalmist reminds us that God can teach us to count our days, to truly be cognizant of how we use them. Such knowledge belongs to wise hearts that are able to deal with whatever the day may bring.
Prayer
Oh God, we give you thanks for this day and the ability to spend it in service to you and our neighbor. We pray that you will help us to see the value of our time and help us to not squander it in fruitless pursuits or selfish desires. Amen.