From everlasting to everlasting, You are God

Psalm 90:1-6-91

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
² Before the mountains were born                                                                                                   Or You gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

³ You turn man back into dust
And say, “Return, O children of men.”
⁴ For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it passes by,                                                                                             Or as a watch in the night.
⁵ You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep;
In the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew.
⁶ In the morning it flourishes and sprouts anew;
Toward evening it fades and withers away.

91 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
³ For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

⁵ You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
⁶ Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.
⁸ You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.
⁹  For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
¹⁰ No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.

¹¹ For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
¹² They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread upon the lion and cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.

¹⁴ “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
¹⁵ “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
¹⁶ “With a long life I will satisfy him
And let him see My salvation.”

In Psalm 90:2, the psalmist offers an interesting view or description of God’s eternal existence. He says:  Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.   Everlasting is already a word meaning eternal; forever, yet the psalmist says God is from everlasting to everlasting. The psalmist then compares man’s temporary existence to God’s eternal existence. He compares our finite time in relation to God’s eternity.    You turn man back into dust And say, “Return, O children of men.” For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it passes by,           Or as a watch in the night.   The years of our existence, in these human bodies, whether we are blessed with many or limited to few, are but a twinkling in the scheme of eternity. Our understanding and acceptance of that truth can help us when we experience the difficulties and struggles of this life. When we truly grasp that we are blessed, through the grace of God and Jesus sacrifice and suffering on the cross, to join God in eternity, it is easier to accept struggles, difficulties, even suffering in this life.  

The end of Psalm 91 says:  “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.  “With a long life I will satisfy him And let him see My salvation.”     When we apply the understanding and the promise of being with God for eternity, we recognize that the promise of a long life is relative to time on earth rather than eternity with God through salvation. We understand then that even a relatively long life of one hundred years is like a watch in the night compared to eternity. Yet there are promises of comfort and protection, which God has for us, in this life. He says:  “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you."(Deuteronomy 31:8)   Jesus says:  “Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)   God’s promise to us is that He will be with us, even in the difficult times of this life. He will go ahead and lead us even to eternity with Him. In Psalm 23:4, the psalmist says:  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.     Even death, has no power over us, because the Lord is with us. When we remain with Him and in Him, death is merely a shadow, like a dark night we pass through to get to the dawn of eternity with God.

The psalmist says:  He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.    It is in trusting in God, in dwelling and abiding in Him that we find our comfort, our peace and protection. Jesus taught us that we should pray:  “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”   We should pray and live then as those who have the eternal promises of God even as we live this temporary existence. The psalmist says:  You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day; Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you.    In truth God does not promise us a life free from difficulty, trial and tribulation. In fact, Jesus says:  “I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33)  We are not promised a life free from difficulty, but we are promised that God will accompany us, and through abiding and dwelling with and in Him, we too can overcome any tribulation the world brings our way. Even the darkest night, the shadow of death, is merely what comes before the dawn of our eternity with God. When we live and walk with Him, He leads the way through even that darkest times, so that we can live as the answer to the prayer of Jesus, we can live with the realities of heaven even as we walk through this life.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth, in and through my life, as it is in heaven. Thank You that even through the darkest night I will not be overcome, but rather through You I will overcome. From everlasting to everlasting You are God.    Amen.