Title Psalm 90:3-12 A meaningful life
Contents At the end of the year, there is a saying that people say with one voice. I mean, time goes by so fast. 2008 was no exception. It seems like it started yesterday, but it has already moved to 2009. Looking back, I feel like a week went by two or three days. That's why, I think the famous British thinker Byron said, "My life is just one day's pleasure".
In Psalm 90, Moses describes the passing of time in two ways. One is, "Our whole life was over in an instant." The other is, "Our years are 70 years, and if we are strong, we will fly away." Then why is Moses talking about the passing of time like this? Perhaps it was because he realized the utility of life.
In particular, Moses was a person who realized the futility of life even more clearly. Because he had seen many people die during his 40 years in the wilderness. He didn't have a day without a funeral, not a day without hearing a song. He gives three definitions of life in Psalm 90: Life is a being that returns to dust (verse 3). Life is an existence that disappears as quickly as grass (verses 5 and 6). Life is nothing but toil and sorrow (verse 10).
This is the life of a man who suffered God's wrath because of sin. Then, is there no way to live a meaningful life like this? There is definitely a way. It is living counting the days remaining. Moses offers the following prayer: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a wise heart” This is a prayer for wisdom to live the rest of our days according to God’s will. Our lives can only be lived as meaningful beings when we realize the will of God. In the past, Moses realized this truth while looking at his fleeting life, so he prayed to God for wisdom to count the remaining days.
Even today, a wise person would not be someone who regrets that time passes quickly, but someone who is thinking about how to live the rest of the year. And I will ask God for wisdom. To such a person, God will let them know His will and lead them to change their fleeting lives into meaningful ones.