O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come,
Our Shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal Home!
Under the shadow of Thy throne Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone, And our defense is sure.
Before the hills in order stood Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God, To endless years the same.
A thousand ages in Thy sight Are like an evening gone,
Short as the watch that ends the night Before the rising sun.
Time, like an ever-rolling stream, Soon bears us all away;
We fly forgotten as a dream Dies at the opening day.
O God, our help in ages past, Our Hope for years to come,
Be Thou our Guard while troubles last And our eternal Home!
(Lutheran Service Book #733)
The end of a year reminds us, as does this hymn, that:
Time, like an ever-rolling stream, Soon bears us all away;
We fly forgotten as a dream Dies at the opening day.
How many of you know the names of your grandparents? How about your great-grandparents? Unless they were widely known or did something of note, most of them have been forgotten by the world. Even the memorial stones meant to last forever will weather and eventually be erased or crumble away.
Psalm 90, written by Moses, is assigned to this last day of the calendar year. Moses was facing his own death from this world. He recognizes that the problem of sin is his, not God’s. It is our sin that separates us from God, and there is nothing we can do about it. The answer to the problem is God stepping in and taking care of our problem, offering us a remedy.
Psalm 90:1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.
Even though our sins have earned us a front row seat in hell, God has shown mercy in sending Jesus. He faced death for you, stared it in the face at Calvary and destroyed it with His cross. His compassion is unending. Moses prayed in this Psalm:
Psalm 90:14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
That prayer was answered when Jesus burst from the tomb on Easter morning, conquering death for everyone and giving eternal life to those who believe in Him.
Merry Seventh Day of Christmas!
