Psalm 90 – Jesus: Our eternal home in a fleeting world

Because life is short and eternity matters, we must depend on Jesus, who entered our frailty to bear God’s wrath, providing eternal joy and purpose in Him.

When was the last time you thought seriously about your own death? Though considering our mortality may seem morbid, it's not a bad thing, in fact, it can be truly helpful. We live in a time that avoids thinking about mortality and minimizes sin. We chase comfort, productivity, and distraction, often avoiding honest reflection. But life is still a vapor. Sin still separates. And eternity still matters.

Psalm 90, the oldest Psalm we have recorded, was written by Moses. Moses had the privilege of speaking with God face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. He even saw the back of God as recorded in Exodus 33-34. Yet Moses was just like us, experiencing the same desires, fears, and temptations that we do. The likely context, Numbers 20, shows Moses facing profound losses: the death of his sister Miriam, his own disqualification from entering the Promised Land because of his own sin, and the death of his brother Aaron. Amid these harsh realities, Moses reflects deeply on the human condition, divine judgment, and the longing for God’s mercy.

Yet, this Psalm is not pessimistic, it’s realistic and raw. It confronts our fleeting existence with brutal honesty but also leads us to profound hope. Today, what if you could live with peace, purpose, and God’s favor, no matter how short your life? Can you imagine waking every day truly satisfied with God’s love?

Let's read Psalm 90 and find the wisdom and hope we desperately need.

Psalm 90 ESV

A Prayer of Moses, the man of God. Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!” For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

What we see first in verses 1-2 and 14 is that…

Our only true dwelling and source of lasting joy is the eternal God

Verse 1 says, “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.” By praying this, Moses frames this entire Psalm within the idea found throughout the Scripture, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” This one phrase is a summary of the point of God’s work of redemption in Christ...relationship.

This isn’t just a personal statement, it’s communal. The “our” and “generations” language reminds us that God has always been a home for His people, not merely individuals. He is the faithful covenant God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and in Christ, the same God is now our dwelling place too, across generations and into eternity.

Though God is eternal, He is deeply personal. Moses calls Him Adonai, Lord, Master, our refuge and dwelling place. This imagery conveys warmth, protection, and intimacy. God is near to us; He is the place where we belong, the home for our hearts. He is not distant or detached but present, steadfast, and faithful through every generation. In a fleeting and uncertain world, God remains constant.

In verse 2, Moses emphasizes God's eternity using vivid imagery: “Before the mountains were brought forth…from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Mountains symbolize permanence. They stand firm, unchanged by passing centuries. Yet, even mountains had a beginning. God, however, did not. He simply is. He is timeless, ageless, and utterly sovereign. He is the Alpha and Omega, the first and last, the beginning and the end. No one created Him; no one controls Him. He simply exists in perfect independence. He is greater than all and is the true source of all. If He is not the basis and the root of all that we are and do, we won’t work right as people.

When we compare God’s eternal nature with our fleeting lives, it is startling. Humans are frail, transient beings, like a breath, but God stands apart as eternally present and sovereign. To Him, the past, present, and future are continually visible.

God’s eternal and sovereign nature gives us profound security and confidence. If God, our refuge, is both Lord (Adonai) and Creator (Elohim), how deeply secure and stable our lives become! God must be the true foundation and source of everything we do. Without Him at the center, our lives lose coherence, purpose, and meaning.

In verse 14 we see that God himself, his presence, His steadfast love, is what satisfies us and brings us joy from now and forevermore. God is our home, he alone can truly satisfy us with his eternal, steadfast love. He alone can truly bring us happiness. Only in Him do we find lasting joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment. Only in God, our eternal dwelling, can we truly thrive.

This is our profound need, and should be our greatest desire, to dwell securely and joyfully in the eternal God. But there is a problem…

We forget our frailty, ignore our mortality, and resist dependence on God

Though God is eternal, we aren’t. Verses 3-10 clearly show us this. But incredibly striking is verse 10, “They years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.” Our lives are like a puff of smoke that fades away in the wind. Our days pass away as quickly as a dream…as they say, “Here today, gone tomorrow.” My meager 48 years have come and gone so fast that I can barely remember most of them. Moses experienced this truth personally, feeling the shortness and fragility of life as he watched his siblings die and his own failures.

Yet despite seeing lives cut short and our own frailty, we forget. Instead of facing our finitude, we live as if we have endless time. Our culture continually feeds us distractions, busyness, and illusions of autonomy. We chase after comforts and pursue productivity, ignoring the pressing reality of our mortality and the deeper questions of our purpose and eternity.

Israel provides us with a powerful example of how we, too, resist dependence on God. Even though they witnessed remarkable acts of God's deliverance, they quickly chose idols and nostalgia over Him. They repeatedly grumbled against God's provision, presumed upon His mercy, and blatantly disregarded His holiness. Like them, we prefer self-reliance and control over a humble acknowledgment of our dependence on the eternal God.

Furthermore, our lives are filled with sin, iniquity, and rebellion against God. Our sinful nature drives us to mistreat and exploit one another, hurting ourselves and others in the process. Yet, God sees everything. Verses 7-9 remind us that our sins, even our hidden ones, are clearly laid out before Him. Nothing escapes His omnipresent gaze. This exposure places us under His righteous judgment and wrath. Despite knowing this, we often minimize sin, ignoring its devastating consequences.

We underestimate God's holiness and justice, failing to grasp the gravity of His wrath. Natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis give us mere glimpses of God's powerful judgment against sin. Yet, we seldom pause to consider that these are only microcosms of divine wrath. The judgment resulting from humanity’s rebellion is severe. Ongoing wars, reoccurring plagues, and the constant flow of death reveal the deep consequences of our sin.

In our pride, we presume upon God’s patience, failing to realize our desperate need for His mercy. We mistakenly believe our goodness or performance can shield us from judgment. Our hearts cling to idols such as control, self-righteousness, performance, and comfort, blinding us to our true condition and deep need of and dependence upon on God.

This resistance and blindness show us our helplessness. We need something far greater than moral improvement or self-effort. We must have someone who can absorb God’s wrath and restore us to true relationship and eternal security.

In verse 13, Moses pleads, “Return, O LORD! How long?” This echoes the covenant cry found throughout Israel’s history, longing not only for relief from suffering but for the return of God’s presence and favor. It's the heart-cry of a people who know that unless the LORD returns to them, they are lost. This is not merely a temporal desire, it’s a yearning for redemption, for restoration, for the dwelling presence of God Himself. And it sets the stage for the only One who could fulfill that longing.

Jesus, the eternal Creator, entered our frailty, bore our wrath, and groaned in our place so that we could dwell in Him and rejoice in His love

Psalm 90 points us directly to Jesus. He is our eternal dwelling place, our refuge, the Alpha and Omega, who became fully human. Jesus willingly embraced our frailty, coming to dwell with us, He stepped into our mortality to deliver us from its curse. He became like us, a vapor, a blade of grass, living within the limitations of humanity, subjecting himself event to death. Jesus is the eternal Word of God of verses 1-4, and frail humanity swept away by God’s judgment for our sake in verses 5-10.

Jesus, the eternal God (vv. 1-2), willingly took on flesh, entering into our transient existence (v. 3). Though He is the eternal Creator, He subjected Himself to birth, growth, aging, pain, sorrow, and ultimately death (vv. 5-6). He experienced firsthand what it meant to be finite and vulnerable, allowing Himself to feel the full weight of human weakness (v. 10).

Yet, even more than this, Jesus bore the incomprehensible wrath of God that our sins deserved. Verses 7-8 show us God’s righteous wrath against sin. This justice poured out is something that we cannot fully comprehend. Yet Jesus willingly stepped into this storm of divine wrath. He ended His earthly life groaning under this judgment, crying out in unimaginable agony from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” In those moments on the cross, Jesus experienced forsakenness by God, a spiritual darkness deeper than we can imagine, bearing the full penalty for every sin we have committed, until He breathed His last breath, committing His spirit into the Father’s hands.

He groaned His last breath so that our groans and sufferings would be momentary rather than eternal. Jesus took our curse upon Himself so that we might forever receive blessing. He endured misery so we could know everlasting joy. Jesus bore divine rejection and disapproval so we might stand before God eternally approved, loved, and welcomed.

Through Christ's substitutionary death, our eternal dwelling with God is secured. The barrier of sin is permanently removed, and the justice of God on us has been fully satisfied in Him. In His resurrection, Jesus conquered death itself, ensuring that our fleeting existence now allows us to enter into everlasting life. We are not left alone in fear or endless striving. Instead, we are invited into a permanent, joyful, and secure dwelling place, God Himself. Jesus, our Immanuel, God who tabernacled with us now allows us to live in Him and He in us.

This incredibly Good News moves our lives from fear to awe, from striving to dependence, from guilt to profound joy. Because of Jesus, our lives, though fleeting, are now infused with eternal significance. He invites us not merely into temporary relief, but into everlasting relationship and joy with Him. He does this…

By the Spirit, we dwell in Him, living prayerful, wise, joy-filled lives anchored in God’s steadfast love and established in His strength

Psalm 90 doesn't just show us our desperate need, it graciously provides a pathway for how we can respond practically and wisely to God’s grace through Christ empowered by the Spirit. Moses teaches us that we must intentionally turn to God in dependence, prayer, and humility.

First, we must pray to remember our finiteness. Verse 12 says, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." We are asking God’s Spirit to remind us of how fleeting life is. This prayer isn't morbid; it’s wise. When God answers this Biblical prayer, we grasp the brevity of life and the Holy Spirit begins to transform our priorities. We are enabled to see the value of practicing daily moments of quiet reflection, acknowledging the fleeting nature of life and intentionally dedicating our days to Christ's purposes. Practically, we might begin each day in prayer, asking the Spirit to guide our decisions and interactions so that every moment counts for eternity. Remembering how Christ gave up His days for us, we give our days joyfully to Him!

Second, we must pray to be satisfied in Christ alone. In verse 14, Moses prays, "Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” True satisfaction comes only from being satisfied with God’s presence, not from worldly pursuits or comforts. The Holy Spirit helps us to see how God’s steadfast love as demonstrated in Christ is our rejoicing today and everyday of our lives. When we look at how Christ left heaven for us, we recognize our false comforts and gradually shifts our hearts to delight primarily in God Himself. Practically, by the Spirit, we can cultivate daily habits of gratitude and worship, regularly recounting God's steadfast love and faithfulness in the person and work of Christ. We can meditate upon Scripture daily, allowing the truth of God's love to deeply satisfy our souls, replacing our anxious striving with restful joy in Christ.

Finally, we must pray that God will bless the work of our hands. In verse 17, Moses says, "Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” We all desire to have a meaningful, lasting impact on this earth. Yet apart from God’s blessing, even our greatest efforts remain fleeting and empty. The Spirit empowers us to see our work not merely as human effort but as opportunities to serve Christ and bless others. Practically, by the Spirit, we can commit our daily tasks, whether mundane or significant, to God in prayer, asking Him to use us for His kingdom purposes. We might also regularly pray with others in our communities, seeking God’s favor and direction collectively, knowing that our true significance comes only from God's eternal purposes and favor.

The Apostle Paul echoes this very theme in 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore… be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” Because of Christ’s resurrection, because our dwelling with God is secured, our work today is not meaningless. In Him, what is done in faith and dependence becomes eternally significant.

By regularly practicing these prayers, we shift our dependence from self-effort to God's strength, from anxiety to trust, and from striving to joyful participation in Christ’s work. The Spirit transforms our hearts, rewiring our desires away from false comforts toward deep communion with Christ. We move from presumption to urgency, recognizing each moment's eternal value. We transition from guilt-driven performance to grace-driven obedience and delight.

But how do we do this practically? I’m glad you asked. Three simple ways.

• Setting aside intentional time each day to reflect on our mortality and commit our day to God's glory.
• Developing consistent rhythms of personal and communal worship to regularly remind and deeply satisfy us on God's steadfast love.
• Dedicating our daily work to God through prayer, asking Him to empower and use us for eternal impact and blessing.

As we yield ourselves daily to the Spirit’s empowering presence, our lives will increasingly reflect wisdom, prayerfulness, joy, and fruitful purpose, firmly anchored in the steadfast love and strength of our eternal God.

Jesus, the eternal Creator, entered our frailty, bore our wrath, and groaned in our place, so that we could dwell in Him, rejoice in His love, and live lives of Spirit-empowered fruitfulness to the glory of God.

If right now you are feeling the weight of life’s brevity… if you've tried building a legacy or seeking satisfaction through success, comfort, or spirituality, but still feel empty, Psalm 90 speaks directly to you today.

You were made to dwell in God, yet sin has separated you from Him. But Jesus, the Eternal One, took on your frailty, bore your sins, and endured your judgment so you could freely enter His rest.

You don’t have to earn this, just come. Come and find true satisfaction in His love. Come and experience profound joy, deep dependence, and lasting purpose, because in Christ, God Himself becomes your eternal home.

And if you have already come, remember the fleeting nature of life and live in the Spirit in joy under the empowering Lordship and presence of Christ all to the glory of the Father.