Psalm 90 (Part One)

"Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. " (vv 1-2)

From Moses, a man who knew God like no other, we receive this divine revelation: The Lord God is our dwelling place. The New Living Translation puts verse 1 this way:

"Lord, through all the generations you have been our home!"

Paul expands on this thought when speaking to the Athenians:

"For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, for we are also his offspring." (Acts 17:28)

Every believer in Christ should rejoice to know that God is our habitation; and that He is our certainty in a world of constant change. In vv 4-6, the psalmist emphasises the brevity of life - it is but a nanosecond's breath compared to God's longevity:

"For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth. "

Any doubts about these facts can be dispelled by simply looking around the world today: earthquakes swallow up lives and dwellings whole, flood waters carry homes and possessions away in one swoosh; thieves and robbers invade what should be sacrosanct and people no longer feel safe in their own homes, even behind lock and key.

With this in mind, take the psalmist's words to heart. When you regard God almighty as your eternal dwelling, you can feel secure in the knowledge that He is an impenetrable fortress. Proverbs 18:10 gives more insight into the psalmist's revelation:

The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Our safety is in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our refuge from life's storms, our tower of deliverance, our hiding place. Satan tried but could not destroy Him because, from everlasting, He was and is God. He also gives us the security of His blood which was shed at Calvary, that we might have eternal life. The wonderful thing to note is that this privilege is not reserved for a selected few. As Paul tells us in Romans 10:13:

"whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Dear friend, if you have lived in fear because of the terrors of this life, and if the enemy of God's children has tormented you with threats to your safety and well-being, take up residence in the impregnable dwelling place that is the name of Jesus Christ. Feed on the Scriptures, for when Christ came under attack from the devil, they were His weapon of choice. You need not try and figure out the intricacies, just know that God's Word works, and that there is victory in the name of Jesus Christ. Take a look at the following scriptures:

• "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Deut 31:6)
  
  
• "Fear not: for they that be with [you] are more than they that be with them." (2 Kings 6:16)
  
  
• "You shall seek them and not find them— those who contended with you. Those who war against you shall be as nothing, as a non-existent thing. For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’" (Isaiah 41:12-13 NKJV)
  
  
• "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt 10:28)
  

These and many more such words of encouragement are scattered throughout the Bible. If you've been living in fear, begin to feed on them. Make them your mantra, until they become part of you. Let the joy of the Lord be your strength, and His provision your source. And above all, rejoice in the conviction that throughout eternity, He is your God! (v 2)

Psalm 90 Full Reading