Time Flies

Read Psalms 90:1–92:15

1. Lord, through all the generations you have been our home!
2. Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.
3. You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals!”
4. For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours.
5. You sweep people away like dreams that disappear. They are like grass that springs up in the morning.
6. In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it is dry and withered.
7. We wither beneath your anger; we are overwhelmed by your fury.
8. You spread out our sins before you—our secret sins—and you see them all.
9. We live our lives beneath your wrath, ending our years with a groan.
10. Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble. Psalm 90:1-10

It’s easy to pass the time when it’s spent in an enjoyable activity. No wonder many of us reach old age wondering, Where has the time gone? Time passes quickly. In fact, the longer you live the faster the time seems to go.

Psalm 90 is Moses’ reflection on the passing of time. What he has to say is pure wisdom and should stir us not only to appreciate the time we have but to live godly lives as well.

In this section we are also reminded to look to God for protection from danger (Psalm 91) and to be thankful every day (Psalm 92).

Moses was well qualified to write the lines, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). He had experienced life from all sides—from a wealthy, powerful existence in Egypt to a frugal, nomadic life in Midian. He knew, perhaps better than most people, how to put life’s short amount of time to good use.

Unless we train ourselves to value time as a priceless treasure, we will never realize how short life really is. Then when we are older, with little time left, we will regret the time we wasted.

To make the most of your time on earth, avoid those activities that benefit no one. Spend less time watching TV. Learn to manage your time better and set goals for yourself. Ask yourself these questions: What do I want to see happen in my life before I die? What small step could I take toward that purpose today? Seek God’s opinion on your goals. Then, if he doesn’t direct otherwise, set out to accomplish them by his power and grace.