When some think of eternity and God, they think of a very old man in the clouds. Psalm 90 teaches us that God’s eternity could not be further from such a false image. He is “from everlasting to everlasting” (v. 2), not simply someone who is a lot older than we are. And it’s not just that God’s eternity extends through all of time. We must also understand that He exists outside of and over time as the creator of time itself.
This prayer of Psalm 90 helps us consider God’s eternity and encourages us “to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (v. 12). At the unfathomable wonder of God’s eternity, we are reminded not just of how small we are, but also of how brief our lives are.
Without a knowledge of God’s eternity and our promised eternity in heaven with Him as well, we might feel despair over life’s shortness. The gospel changes our thinking. Now we can expectantly pray, “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” (v. 14).