God is Forever

November 14, 2010

Background Scripture: Psalm 90
Lesson Passage: Psalm 90:1 – 12

Forever is a very long time. I suppose that this is the only way we mortals can even have a concept of eternity. We visualize eternity as being independent of time. Almost by definition, time can not exist in eternity. Some theologians define eternity as a state of forever now. There is no yesterday or tomorrow; there is just now. God, in introducing himself to Moses, declared that I am that I am. In such a theology, God exists in the eternal now. God is forever. In Psalm 90, Moses’ prayer expresses man’s time-dependent existence in relationship to God’s existence. We don’t often think of Moses as a poet or hymn writer but the psalm in our lesson today is the only one that identifies Moses as the author. Certainly with his vast experience interacting with God, we should expect anything that Moses took time to write to be worthwhile studying. In this psalm, Moses acknowledges God’s infinite nature and contrasts it to man’s finite physical existence. Moses adds perspective to a lot of priorities we dare to set in life. We are reminded that our life is a brief existence. Moses prays for God’s guidance in how we establish priorities in this life seeing that our time is limited here. As a young man seeks the counsel and advice of an elder who has experience beyond his years, mankind should seek the guidance of the eternal and only wise God in all matters pertaining to life and godliness. God has been and is both the source and sustainer for man since the very beginning of time. God is our habitation or place of dwelling. Paul noted that even those who don’t know God personally acknowledge that in him we live and move and have our being. There is no place that we can go to escape God’s presence. God existed even before he called into existence everything else. There is no physical existence that has been here forever. God always has been and he always is. For the self-existent God, all of time is brief and fleeting. Since we can think of God existing within the eternal now, yesterday and tomorrow are insignificant. So then a thousand years really are but as a watch in the night. God does not lend himself to discovery by us. All that we can ever know of God or about God he must reveal to us in a way that is finite enough for us to comprehend it. At God’s word, men are turned back into dust from where we were taken. Our time between birth and death passes quickly. In light of the fact that we shall stand before the judgment seat of God and give an account of the deeds done in our bodies, we should depend on God’s guidance as to how we are to use this brief time wisely. If we cannot aspire unto righteousness and holiness during these few years, what hope do we have for an eternity in the presence of God’s holiness? Should we not seek to experience now a portion of what eternity promises the children of God? Moses’ prayer is that God would grant us now the will and the ability to live here in preparation for the eternity that is promised for the future for God’s children. If we desire to live in God’s presence, then let us aspire to live forever in a manner that is pleasing to him since God is forever.

Robert C. Hudson
November 5, 2010

God is Awesome

November 7, 2010

Background Scripture: Psalm 66
Lesson Passage: Psalm 66

This psalm was written by an anonymous author. Although the author is not known, the truths recorded in this psalm are universally known by God’s children. The title here says it all. God is awesome! This expression can only come from the heart of one who has been delivered by God in a time of great need. There is nothing that comes close to personal experience with God. Deliverance leads to praise. Praise comes easily for those who have had an encounter with God and he has dealt kindly with them. A testimony is birthed when the realness of God is experienced in one’s life and not just thought about or felt. When God allows us to see his works, we praise him for his works. God’s wisdom and his power are awesome. No one can do the things that God does. God acts according to his own character or nature and therefore his actions are not subject to circumstances. The fact that a holy God interacts with man—who has a sinful nature—is incomprehensible. God’s dealings with man are awesome. Today, all do not know him but one day all will know him and acknowledge him for his holiness. His power is irresistible; every knee shall bow to him and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God. Nature has already succumbed to God’s divine power. His power over nature is awesome. He dried up the Red Sea and the Jordan River. Although this may have occurred many years before the psalmist wrote about it, yet the very nature of these actions are testimonies worth repeating to encourage future generations. It is a reminder that there are no barriers in this life that can resist God’s power to overcome and subdue. God’s knowledge and wisdom are to be praised. His all-seeing eye beholds everything without limit in regard to time or space. Yesterday and tomorrow are as clear to God as right now. His omniscience is awesome. He is aware of all of the affairs of man throughout the nations. David, in one of his psalms, declared that there is nowhere one can go to escape God’s presence. Man appears to be one of the last frontiers that will be conquered by God’s divine holiness. We think of God in reverent fear. We reverence him because of his holiness and great love towards us. Although we are mortal and our frames are made of dust, God upholds us in our time of weakness. We praise him for his ability to keep his children from falling. All of these things are known by those who are his. Although we have a collective testimony, yet our testimony of him is also deeply personal. My personal testimony of God’s dealings with me is awesome. I cannot count my blessings for they are too numerous. When I cry out to him in sincerity, he hears my cry and responds as a father to a tender young child. I am in awe that he is attentive to my prayers and responds to them when I do not cherish sin. A sinful nature is abomination towards God but he cleans us up and makes us fit to come into his holy presence. Through the blood of his only begotten Son, we come boldly before his throne of grace to render the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to our awesome God!

Robert C. Hudson
October 26, 2010