November 9
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MAN WILL PERISH BUT GOD ENDURES FOREVER
He has broken my strength in the way;
He has shortened my days.
24 I say, “My God, do not take me away in the middle of my days,
Your years are throughout all generations.
25 In time of old You founded the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
26 Even they will perish, but You endure;
All of them will wear out like a garment;
Like clothing You will change them and they will pass away.
27 But You are the same,
And Your years will not come to an end.
28 The children of Your servants will continue,
And their descendants will be established before You. -PSALM 102:23-28
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The psalmist ends this psalm declaring how disposable our lives are but God is everlasting. In verse 23, he humbly recognized that our lives are in the hands of God. We are at God’s disposal. In verse 24, he pleads God not to shorten his life and gives God praise for watching over His people throughout many generations. In verse 25, he brings glory to the only creator of the whole earth and the heavens which are all still in existence based on God’s plan. In verse 26, he gives praise to the truth that all of creation can be snapped out because God is sovereign and all-powerful. He can do anything He wished with it. It shows that all things are fleeting and only God can decide which ones He wants to keep long. In verse 27, it declares God’s unchangeable nature and His infiniteness. In verse 28, the psalmist promises continued service to the Lord with the descendants of His people.
What a humble way the psalmist ends this psalm! He declares God’s limitless being and that all creation will be at God’s disposal. Many people think that they are in control of their lives and do everything they can to prolong their lives. This psalm is a reminder to us all how fleeting our lives are and God will do what He needs to do to make his plan come to fruition. We humans become so preoccupied with the way we see things when we need to be able to see God’s perspective in our life here on earth. We need to be able to focus on being used by God to make His plan be realized.
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REFLECTION
• How can we be able to maximize the life God gave us?