I've been reading the Psalms these days and find that, if
read as the thoughts and prayers of the Savior, there is so much to
consider. Psalm 102 is 28 verses long,
apparently written by someone suffering affliction and very conscious that life
on this earth is over quickly compared to the vast time of the earth and stars,
and they are short compared to the eternity of God. But my faith in Christ reminds me that all
those who trust in Him as Lord will likewise live with Him forever. So the brevity of my earthly life is tempered
by my view of eternity before us (cf. Hebrews 12:22-24). Verse twenty three starts with weakness and
fear:
23 He weakened my strength in the
way; He shortened my days.
24 I said, "O my God, Do
not take me away in the midst of my days; Your years are throughout all
generations.
25 Of old You laid the
foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
Genesis 1:1 "In
the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Our Lord is the Creator at the beginning of
time.
26 They will perish, but You
will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will
change them, And they will be changed.
He is also present at the end of the created order and of
time as we know it.
Note: Verses 25-26
are quoted in Hebrews 1:10-12 in reference to the Lord Jesus.
Our days are so short compared to the eternity of our
Savior. But consider also that the
regenerated person in Christ has all of eternity stretched out before him. The brevity of these days beacon us to be
wise, but the eternity ahead of us informs our values even more than the
brevity. Prayer, the Scriptures, the
Gospel, mercy and care invested into others, especially the "least of
these" become of primary importance in
light of these verses.
27 But You are the
same, And Your years will have no end.
28 The children of Your
servants will continue, And their descendants will be established before You."
