Voice: Shivdas
Today is Thursday, 2nd of July. Take a moment to be still in His presence.
We read Psalm 90:1-17
1Lord, you have been our dwelling place
in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3You return man to dust
and say, “Return, O children of man!”
4For a thousand years in your sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,
or as a watch in the night.
5You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning:
6in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.
7For we are brought to an end by your anger;
by your wrath we are dismayed.
8You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.
9For all our days pass away under your wrath;
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10The 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.
11Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you?
12 So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, O Lord ! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
14Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
17Let 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!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.
Psalm 90 is regularly read in our Anglican Funeral Services. At first glance, some verses may sound harsh. But each verse is pregnant with reality and meaning as the Psalmist ponder on the brevity of life.
Most of us spend our lives searching for a place to call home.
We long for security, familiarity and permanence. We work hard to build comfortable homes, establish meaningful careers and nurture relationships that will last. Yet beneath all these desires lies a deeper longing—the longing for a place where we truly belong.
Moses begins Psalm 90 with a remarkable confession:
“Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.”
Notice what he does not say.
He does not say that the Promised Land was Israel’s dwelling place. Nor the Tabernacle. Nor Jerusalem. Their true home was not a place but a Person.
Long before there was a nation called Israel, there was God. Before the mountains were born, before rivers carved valleys and before the stars filled the heavens, God already was.
We live within time. God does not.
Our lives are measured in birthdays and anniversaries. We watch our children grow, our bodies weaken and our hair turn grey. Moses compares our lives to grass that flourishes in the morning but withers by evening.
Yet God remains unchanged.
Perhaps this is why our hearts are so restless. We keep trying to build permanent lives in a temporary world. We seek lasting satisfaction in careers that eventually end, possessions that wear out and achievements that future generations may scarcely remember.
As C. S. Lewis observed, every earthly joy awakens a longing that it cannot fully satisfy. We were made for something—or rather Someone—greater.
This is why Moses prays,
“Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love.”
He does not ask for a longer life.
He asks for a fuller one.
He knows that a heart satisfied in God is richer than a life filled with possessions, accomplishments or applause.
Near the end of the psalm comes another surprising prayer:
“Establish the work of our hands.”
What confidence! After reminding us how brief life is, Moses still believes that God can give eternal significance to our ordinary work.
Perhaps this is the great hope of Psalm 90.
Our lives are brief, but they are not meaningless.
Our days pass quickly, but they need not be wasted.
When our home is in God, even the smallest act of faithfulness becomes part of His eternal purposes.
Today, do not simply ask God to give you more years.
Ask Him to become your dwelling place.
For when the Eternal One becomes our home, even our fleeting days acquire everlasting significance.
In closing we pray:
You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you. Amen.
(from St. Augustine in his book, Confessions)
Be blessed by this rendition of I Know Whom I Have Believed
I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He has made known;
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.
Verse 2
I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart;
Nor how believing in His Word
Brought peace within my heart.
Verse 3
I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing men of sin;
Revealing Jesus through the Word,
Creating faith in Him.
Verse 4
I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair;
Nor if I’ll walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.
Chorus
But “I know whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.”
Vale = earthly life
Words: Daniel W. Whittle
Music: James McGranahan
Link to today’s Morning Office
About This Daily Devotion
This weekday devotion is drawn from the Morning Office and is part of a project initiated by Revd Canon Terry Wong, with contributions from clergy and members across various parishes. Each entry includes selected readings from the appointed Psalm and another Scripture passage, accompanied by a reflection and prayer. An audio option is also available, often ending with a hymn or song. We encourage you to both read and listen. Unless otherwise stated, the reflections are written by Revd Wong.
Our aim is to help Anglicans engage more deeply with our rich liturgical tradition, while meeting the devotional needs of today’s believers. This project began on Ash Wednesday 2025 and is offered on weekdays only.
For feedback, please write to us at info@mpcc.org.sg. We also welcome donations to MPCC. Information on how you may give can be found in this link.
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