In the Beginning . . . God!
Saturday and Sunday, January 6-7, 2007
In the Beginning...God Studies
Daily Bible Study Menu
A note about online study
My Prayer Today – Psalm 90
1 A prayer of Moses, the man of God. Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! 2 Before the mountains were created, before you made the earth and the world, you are God, without beginning or end. 3 You turn people back to dust, saying, "Return to dust!" 4 For you, a thousand years are as yesterday! They are like a few hours! 5 You sweep people away like dreams that disappear or like grass that springs up in the morning. 6 In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it is dry and withered.
7 We wither beneath your anger; we are overwhelmed by your fury. 8 You spread out our sins before you – our secret sins – and you see them all. 9 We live our lives beneath your wrath. We end our lives with a groan. 10 Seventy years are given to us! Some may even reach eighty. But even the best of these years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we are gone. 11 Who can comprehend the power of your anger? Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve. 12 Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom. 13 O LORD, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants! 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. 15 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good. 16 Let us see your miracles again; let our children see your glory at work. 17 And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!
Ponderings on the Psalms
Psalm 90 is the oldest psalm and it was written by Moses. Commentators believe that he wrote the psalm after Israel’s failure at Kadesh Barnea (Numbers 13-14), when the nation was condemned to journey 40 years in the wilderness. That tragedy was followed by the death of his sister Miriam (Numbers 20:1) and his brother Aaron (Numbers 20:22-29). Between those two deaths, Moses disobeyed the Lord and struck the rock (Numbers 20:2-13). Life was not easy for Moses, and in this psalm he shared his insights so that we, too, might have the strength for the journey and end well.
In verse 12, Moses asks God to teach us to make the most of our time. As we move into 2007, that is a prayer that should be on our lips each day.
STOP HERE. Sunday’s Study Follows.
Sunday Worship Time
My Prayer Today
Satisfy us in the morning with Your love
Satisfy us in the morning with Your love
That we may sing for joy and be glad
In all our days
Satisfy us in the morning with Your love
Match the days Lord of our sorrow with Your joy
Match the days Lord of our sorrow with Your joy
May Your deeds be always known
To the ones You call Your own
Match the days Lord of our sorrow with Your joy
May the favor of the Lord
Rest upon us and our Land
And establish for us all
The work of our hands
Yes the work of our hands
Lord for us You have been a refuge
From age to age
Lord for us You have been a refuge
From age to age
Before the mountains were born
And the earth and the world brought forth
You are the everlasting Lord ©1989 Signpost Music
Worship
Read today’s prayer and Psalm 90 from Saturday. How does Moses describe God?
There were six generations from Abraham to Moses (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Levi, Kohath, Amram, Moses). The same God guided them and blessed them. Think of those who have come before you and thank God for their witness, example and encouragement. (If you have some that you need to forgive, now would be a wonderful time to deal with this.)
God is Jehovah – the God of the Covenant. He will never break His promises. Thank God for His faithfulness.
My Space
MySpace.com is a growing presence on the World Wide Web. It’s billed as a “place for friends.”
At the end of each Sunday’s worship study, we will share space where you can jot down thoughts, prayer needs, insights that you want to share with your best friend – Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior. You may want to use My Space as a journal and save it to refer back as you continue to walk with God … grow in faith … and reach out to serve in Jesus’ name.
Life is brief, so Moses prayed, “Teach us.” Life is difficult, and he prayed “satisfy us.” Moses felt frustrated; he prayed “make our efforts successful.” God answered those prayers for Moses, and He will answer them for us. The future is our friend when Jesus is our Lord and Savior.