I don’t know about you, but initially, when I read through this Psalm, I felt kind of sad. I mean, the Psalmist is literally crying out to the Lord as he’s withering away in extreme pain. It took me until my third time reading through to realize that Psalm 102 is actually so incredibly hopeful.
Starting in verse 12, the mood doesn’t change, the situation doesn’t change, the Psalmist is still in agony, BUT God is still the same. The Lord is enthroned forever (verse 12) and his years have no end (verse 27). This comparison of the Psalmist’s short life and the Lord’s enduring life gives the Psalmist hope because the Lord is still working and will continue to work in the lives of his people from generation to generation, even when he’s gone.
As I’m reflecting on this, I am reminded that this life is temporary. The people around us, the house we live in, our jobs…nothing lasts. BUT God does. He is constant. AND as his followers, we get the privilege of being a part of his story each and every day we wake up. The Psalmist chose to be a part of what God was doing in Zion and we get to continue being a part of God’s story - in our generation. HOW COOL.
Reflect this week: What has God already done in your life and in the lives of those around you? What is God doing right now in your life and in the lives of those around you? What is your hope that God will do in your life and in the lives of those around you?
—Bethany Powell