Psalm 90 – Perspective – Don’t Waste Time

A special reminder from Psalm 90 to help us keep life in perspective and make the most of the time God has given us. Live each day to the fullest and make a difference for eternity.

Intro

This thing all things devours,
Birds, beasts, trees, and flowers.
Gnaws iron bites steel,
Grinds hard stones to meal,
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats high mountain down.

I am endless but can be wasted. I can’t be kept but can be spent. I can’t be owned but can be used, what am I?

If you answered, “Time” to these riddles, you are correct.

Stats on time

• The average person spends 26 years sleeping in their lifetime and about 7 years trying to fall asleep.
•  Humans blink about 15–20 times per minute, meaning we spend roughly 10% of our waking hours with our eyes closed.
• The average person spends about 13 years and 2 months at work over a lifetime.

If you ask me, what did on February 3rd, I do not remember. There are many days in my forty years of existence that I don’t remember.

But those days are filled. The time is spent. It cannot be gotten back. It cannot be redone. My deeds on those days are etched in stone. Yours are too. The time you have spent in the past is gone. You cannot live it again.

I. Perspective: God is eternal

Psalms 90:2 – Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

A key theme in this Psalm is that God is eternal. Mountains are one of the most unchanging objects in creation. They are steadfast, ancient, and immovable. Snow falls and melts. Trees grow and die. People come and go. The mountains are still standing there almost unchanged. And yet God existed for eternity past before the mountains.

Psalms 90:4 – For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.

God exists outside of the dimension of time.

He created time for us. Sometimes that seems relative. Time seems to crawl so slowly if you are sick in bed at night and can’t go to sleep. One night can seem to last forever. On the other hand, fun or exciting days can seem to be over in an instant. As the saying goes, “time flies when you are having fun.”

But no matter if it seems to pass slowly or quickly, it goes in one direction. We use it up and it is gone. Hourglass.

II. Our time on earth is short

Psalms 90:10 The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.

James 4:14 – Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

I was talking with an elderly gentleman recently and asked him what he was living for. His answer was that he was living today so that he could live tomorrow. Most of his time is spent on trying to increase his life span. Through healthy eating and proper exercise, he hopes to extend his life an extra decade or more.

He may or may not be successful. The end result will still be the same. Death comes to us all.

People spend vast amounts of money in attempts to live longer. Plastic surgeries make cosmetic alterations to keep people looking young. Some even invest in fantasies such as cryonics and crypto freezing in hopes that they can live forever.

In the end, these attempts prove futile. Death is a fact, and it is wise not to ignore it.

Life expectancy is just over 71 years globally. In some countries, it is a bit higher.

A wise person sees that death will eventually come and prepares himself for it. Many do not. Many find that their time runs out and they weren’t ready. And they didn’t use it well.

– Sir Thomas Scott (Atheist chancellor of English until 1594): “Until this moment, I thought there was neither a God nor a hell. Now I know and feel that there are both, and I am doomed to perdition by the just judgment of the Almighty.”

– Voltaire: “I am abandoned by God and man! I shall go to hell! O Christ, O Jesus!” His condition was so frightening, everyone was afraid to approach his bedside. His nurse said: “For all the money in Europe I wouldn’t want to see another unbeliever die!

Some believers:

– Sir David Brewster: “I will see Jesus; Oh how bright it is! I feel so safe and satisfied!”

– D.L. Moody: “Earth recedes. Heaven opens before me. If this is death, it is sweet. There is no valley here. God is calling me, and I must go. This is my triumph. This is my coronation day. It is glorious!”

III. Make the most of your time

Numbering our days gives us wisdom –

Psalms 90:12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Here is the key application from the passage. We need to learn to number our days. Doing so will give us the proper perspective. As we number our days, our attitude and behavior should change to reflect that awareness.

Our lives are compared to a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Many people leave this world unprepared for the next. And even many who trust in Christ and are ready to face Him still may have regrets in their use of time.

God has put us on this earth for a reason. He has prepared certain good deeds, missions if you will, which He wants us to accomplish for Him (Ephesians 2:10). Every day is an opportunity to fulfill the missions God has for us that day. But if we do not do them, they are gone and will never come back again.

He gives us satisfaction

Psalms 90:14 – Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Moses realized that time was short. Therefore, he hoped that God would help them make the absolute most of it, filling them with joy. The prayer could be paraphrased like this, “We aren’t going to live very long so please help us to live the time we have to the fullest, joyfully finding our satisfaction in you.”

Unbelievers often also realize that their time is short. Their conclusion, however, is the opposite. They may seek to squeeze as much fun and partying in as they can while they can.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon examined everything the world had to offer. Like Moses, he also realized that time is short. His conclusion was similar. Money, materials, fame, achievement, and sex all fall short. Only God satisfies.

He infuses our time with meaning and purpose. I believe those who joined Bible in 82 found it meaningful. Joining this tonight is special. We shared testimonies not long ago. In 2024 we had many “God moments.” In 2025, He can do the same again. He satisfies us and brings meaning to what would otherwise be an empty existence.

Establish the work of our hands

Psalms 90:17 – Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

The last request that Moses makes (and he makes it twice), is that the Lord establish the works of their hands. His hope is that what he does will last. He wants it to be meaningful and to stand the test of time.

John 15:5 – Apart from Him we can do nothing.

Moses had the right perspective. Things that seem important in the short term quickly lose their significance when you zoom out on a longer timeline. As believers, we should look at things on an eternal timeline.

What difference will the things I am doing today make in 100 years?

Believers should evaluate the things that we spend time on and make sure that our lives have a long-term impact on others for good (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

Ephesians 5:16 – Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Here are some things that can make an eternal impact.

• Sharing the gospel.
• Discipleship
• Leading family devotions with your children
• Studying God’s Word
• Prayer
• Reading Christian growth books.
• Fellowship with believers
• Sharing your testimony
• Being a testimony to unbelievers
• Worshiping God
• Anything where you obey God with the right attitude

We should not be confused and think that routine day-to-day life is not meaningful. The very smallest task we do for the glory of God is worthy. That includes cooking for our families, changing diapers, or helping your kids with their homework.

Fun activities can also be redeemed and made useful. Using time well does not mean we can never rest or have fun.

• When you play a board game with your children, help them grow in teamwork or learn to have a good attitude win or lose.
• When you go for a picnic, spend some time thanking God for the beautiful environment and day. Leave the grounds cleaner than when you left.
• When you go on a walk with your spouse, consider how you can encourage him/her in the Lord.
• Instead of surface chit-chat with your friends, bring up deeper and more meaningful topics. Ask them thought-provoking spiritual questions.

When we have the mentality that we want God to establish our work, it will help us to do work that is meaningful and to do it in a way that brings honor to God.

It is unlikely a 40-year-old man would spend the week eating Cheetos, drinking coke, and playing an R-rated video game would ask God to establish the work of his hands.

We know the things that carry eternal value and the things that don’t.

What legacy are you leaving behind?

What difference will your life make after you are gone?

Revelation 7:9-12 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

This is God’s end vision.

“”Live as if you were living a second time and as though you had acted wrongly the first time.” – Viktor Frankl

I’ve never heard reports of anyone on their bed saying, “My biggest regret is that I didn’t spend enough time at the office.”

Conclusion

What is always coming, but never arrives?

Tomorrow. One of Satan’s most powerful temptations is to say “Yes, do good and serve God, just do it tomorrow.”

Tomorrow is something which never comes. Serve God today.

Wood, hay, stubble.

CT Studd –

Only One Life, Twill Soon Be Past
by C.T. Studd
Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its days I must fulfill.
living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Oh let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say, “Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
__ extra stanza __
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.

Time is quickly flying by. This next year will be quickly past. Our life will be quickly past. Only what’s done for Christ will last. How will use your time better this coming day, week, year?