LIVE WISELY IN LIGHT OF ETERNITY

A “Happy New Year” is meaningful if you are willing to change what needs changing. A change of calendar does not mean a change of your heart. Psalm 90 is the oldest psalm in the Bible, written by Moses who walked closely with God in all his 120 years on earth. From this psalm, we can learn how to live wisely in light of eternity:

KNOW WHO GOD IS (Psalm 90:1-2)

Our greatest weakness today in the church is our inadequate view of God. Our moral life will not be in order if we do not have a right view of God. As A.W. Tozer said, “It is impossible to keep our moral practices sound…while our idea of God is erroneous or inadequate.”

God is our refuge and our home (dwelling place), where we find rest, comfort and security. Though Moses wandered through the wilderness with the Israelites for 40 years and never got to enter the Promised Land, he was able to say that God was his home.

God is also our Creator, and He is eternal; He does not change. He is the beginning (Alpha) and the end (Omega) (Revelation 1:8). He has placed eternity in our hearts that’s why we have a longing to live forever.

God is perfect and He remains the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He can be trusted to keep His promises. We don’t trust God because we don’t know Him, and we become anxious and worried. When we have a proper view of God, we also know that Jesus is coming again (“who is to come”)! This makes us accountable and transforms us to live for eternity.

KNOW WHO WE ARE (Psalm 90:3-11)

Moses writes that our lives on earth are short compared to eternity (v.10). He compares us to what the flood sweeps away, and to grass that withers within the day (v. 3-6). He also talks about our “secret sins” that God sees. When we sin, we go against God’s will — God’s anger towards sin therefore is not arbitrary. He will not allow unrighteousness in us because He is holy. This is why we need to change how we live. We may not experience God’s wrath as we imagine it, but God also speaks through anxiety and fears (v. 7-9, 11).

PRAY FOR GOD’S FAVOR (Psalm 90:12-17)

Your prayer life reveals your spirituality; it is the evidence of your intimacy with God. We need to learn to pray for:

• Favor of wisdom. Wisdom is the application of knowledge. A wise person will make the most out of his or her time on earth, pursuing God’s will (Ephesians 5:15-17). It is foolish to limit our goals for only this life (Luke 12:16, 18-21). God wants us to have true treasures; we should invest in eternity because our souls are eternal. Let us read the Bible so that we may be careful to do what God says (Joshua 1:8).

• Favor of lovingkindness or grace. Real satisfaction can only come from the lovingkindness of God (Psalm 90:13-15). The Hebrew word “hesed” means covenant love + mercy + compassion + faithfulness + kindness (Lamentations 3:21-23). Moses learned to intercede for the people he led and prayed according to God’s lovingkindness (Numbers 11:1-2, 14:11-12, 19-20). We need God’s lovingkindness (grace) because we need forgiveness and salvation (Ephesians 1:7). The grace of God is found in Jesus!

• Favor of joy. Real joy is God’s gift (Psalm 90:14-15). Moses went through problems and he was miserable even as he was doing God’s will (Numbers 11:11-15). He needed to experience joy, and understood that he needed God (Exodus 33:15). A prayer for joy is a good prayer (Psalm 5:12), and intimacy with God brings joy. His presence brings joy (Psalm 16:11, 4:7) and joy is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:21-22, Romans 15:13).

• Favor of lasting legacy. Moses asked God to “confirm” the work of his hands (Psalm 90:16-17). Without God’s blessing, everything in our lives right now will eventually disappear. Only two things will remain forever: what you do for people in the name of Jesus (Hebrews 6:10) and the souls of men (Daniel 12:2-3, Proverbs 11:30). We can have a lasting legacy by making disciples and reaching the campuses and the next generation for Jesus. This 2026, live wisely in light of eternity!