Last week I celebrated my birthday. Every year, when my birthday rolls around, I am thankful to God for the blessings He has showered on me and thankful that I have been able to enjoy Him and His goodness for another year with people I love in my little spot on earth. He has created such a beautiful world, yes it is messed up and groans under the weight of sin, but there are moments that make my heart sing. Moments like hearing my daughter excitedly declare in the kid’s talk at church this morning that the Gospel is about the Good News of JESUS! Or, when my son’s face lights up with enthusiasm at hearing the footsteps of his daddy walk through the door in the evening. These moments I savour and recognise God’s blessings in the little ways.
But God has been blessing His people since the beginning of time. There are millions of people who have savoured the little moments of heaven on earth and appreciated His goodness in it all. Moses, in Psalm 90:1-2, reflects on God’s goodness to His people:
Lord, you have been our dwelling place
in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
In these verses, we see that God is a dwelling place for each generation. If we raise our children in the fear and admonition of God, this can be passed on. We can teach our children the knowledge of God and through the grace and mercy of the Holy Spirit, He can allow this knowledge into their hearts.
God is so much bigger than a dwelling place for us though. Even before the earth was formed though, God was. As we reflect on who God is, we see how small we are in the scheme of things.
You return man to dust
and say, “Return, O children of man!”
4 For a thousand years in your sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,
or as a watch in the night.5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning:
6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.– Psalm 90:3-6
In comparison to God’s eternal qualities, we are but dust. We are here one day and gone the next. Yet these days of our lives are precious- precious to us and precious to God. As we reflect on our life- the way we have spent it so far, the way we are spending the day we are given, we can pray like Moses:
So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
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!-Psalm 90:12-17 (emboldened mine)
In our life we can pray that God will help us prioritise what is really important. We can pray that we will recognise His love and rejoice in who God is so that we will be glad. We can pray that God will establish the work of our hands for His glory. We can pray most of all for the legacy we leave- that our children and all those in our lives, will see through us like a telescope, and marvel over the real attraction- that of our magnificent and glorious God. We can pray that it won’t be enough for them to just see us and the way we spend our life, but see Him and who He is. For this is the only thing that will be a legacy worth truly leaving.
I love John Piper’s dedication in his book “The Pleasures of God” (Multnomah Press, 1991):
Finally, a word to my sons. This book is dedicated to you, Karsten and Benjamin and Abraham and Barnabas. If there is any legacy I want to leave you, it is not money or house or land; it is a vision of God- as great and glorious a God as one could ever see. But more than that, I want to leave the legacy of passion for this God. A passion far beyond what any human can produce. A passion for God flowing from the very heart of God. Never forget that God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in him. But even more- and this is my prayer for you- in God’s time, may your satisfaction in him be without measure, as it becomes the very pleasure of God in God.
– p. 11
May we take time to earnestly seek God- that we will pass on a passion for God flowing from God. As we diligently seek a great and glorious vision of who God is, may our lives flow out of this vision. As we dream, as we plan, as we pursue, may it be with our eyes fixed firmly on God with a wonder and amazement and who He is. In this may we be satisfied and may we truly leave a legacy that is worth something.
photo credit: morning via photopin (license). Title Added.
Birthday Giveaway
To celebrate my birthday, I decided to have a giveaway where I gave a book to one randomly selected person from my Facebook Like List and from my Subscriber List. I have just drawn them and those with a book coming their way are:
Rhonda Cavanaugh- you will be getting a copy of “Crazy Busy” by Kevin DeYoung coming to you.
Erin Strahan- a copy of “Treasuring Christ When Your Hands are Full” by Gloria Furman will be coming to you in the next few weeks.
I hope they are an encouragement to you both! Emily x
photo credit: gift from the sky via photopin (license)
Happy Birthday Emily! Thanks for drawing my attention to psalm 90. What an encouragement xx
Hi Sarah. Yes a beautiful psalm! Certainly gives you a little glimpse of Moses’ prayer life! Emily x