July 22, 2023 – Psalm 90

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You turn usback to dust and say, “Turn back, you mortals.” For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past or like a watch in the night. You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning;in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.For we are consumed by your anger; by your wrath we are overwhelmed.You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your countenance.For all our days pass away under your wrath; our years come to an end like a sigh. The days of our life are seventy years or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. Who considers the power of your anger? Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you. So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart. Turn, O Lord! How long? Have compassion on your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us and as many years as we have seen evil. Let your work be manifest to your servants and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us and prosper for us the work of our hands—O prosper the work of our hands!”

For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past or like a watch in the night.

In our 21^st century society, our lives can be spent at such a frantic pace. We hope to accomplish more today than we did yesterday. Or perhaps it is a necessity to try to get as much as possible done just to keep up with life. As such we often can find ourselves lifting up our heads wondering when it will all be over. Every day is a race. Slowly our strength ebbs, and exhausted we collapse in the dust only to realize that from dust we came and irrevocably to dust we will return. Our hearts begin to despair at the hopelessness, meaninglessness, and futility. Psalm 90 clearly describes this conundrum of human life and yet gives a word of hope to the existence and purpose of all.

What does the Psalmist ask? “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us and prosper for us the work of our hands—O prosper the work of our hands!” We could say the Psalmist is talking about vocation. While I may toil and toil in work just to make enough money to pay my mortgage or rent and to put food on my table, that work can sap all of my hope and strength each day. But vocation for mammon is different from my working for Jesus. Vocation is rooted in the Latin vocare, meaning “to call,” which “implies a relationship to the one who calls us.” So while choice of career is often our choice, our vocation is related to how Jesus calls us to work, for Jesus. In other words, our meaning in life should not come only through what we do for money, but through following the vocation or calling that G-d calls us each to do in our efforts to love G-d and our neighbor. And while working for mammon may sap our hope and strength, working for G-d can renew that same hope and strength.

Prayer

Eternal Father of our mortal race, in Jesus Christ your grace has come upon us. For his sake prosper the work of our hands until he returns to gladden our hearts forever.

Amen.