“Lord, you have been our dwelling place

throughout all generations.

Before the mountains were born

or you brought forth the whole world,

from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Ps 90: 1 – 2),

My brain can’t get a grasp of what “everlasting to everlasting” means. People talk about eternity past and eternity future, but I find it impossible to imagine. All I know is that his infinity is one of the many ways God is vastly superior to me. To us.

“From everlasting”. Was there a beginning to God? The Scriptures don’t allow us to believe that. Somehow God has always been and always will be. And over that seemingly impossible span of time, he has always been in charge. He has always been God. He will always be God.

Before the mountains were born, before our planet spun on its axis, he has been the sovereign God. When people were created, he invited them to dwell with him. Even though many rejected the call, he held out his hand. Today, The Lord still holds out his hand.

Later, in Psalm 90 we read:

“Teach us to number our days,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Ps 90: 12)

This is a stark reminder of the brevity of life on earth. God may be everlasting, but we are not here forever. Our souls will live on, but what will we do with the limited time we have before we die? Will we live intentionally, making the most of our time, loving God, and doing his will, or will we waste the opportunities set before us? Will we “number our days” -that is, put them to good use?

All human beings, like you and I have a paradoxical existence. We are temporal and we are eternal. We are not from everlasting, but eternity is laid out in before us. Faith in Christ will lead us to the dwelling place of God, but will we still number our days? Will we take seriously every minute, every day? Will we do everything we can to further his kingdom? Will we love the lost and feed the hungry? Will we carry out his will?

The psalmist (this is a prayer of Moses) believes that we will gain hearts of wisdom if we number our days. A finite life on earth lived with purpose, under the sovereignty of God, will feed the fertile soil where wisdom wants to grow.

Peter encouraged us to live with purpose, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ… make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1: 5 – 11).