Wisdom for the New Year

Psalm 90 January 7, 2024 Pastor Chris Oswald

Thesis In light of God's eternality and our finitude, we must ask God to teach us to number our days, satisfy us with His steadfast love, and establish the work of our hands, living the new year with intentionality for His glory.

Series

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Type

Expository

Tone

pastoraldidactic

Method

grammatical-historicalapplicatory

What's in this sermon

The shape of the argument

19 units across exposition, application, illustration, theological claim, and conclusion. The pastor's argument is built from these moving parts.

Pastoral correction · unit #13

"This unit provides concrete, actionable instruction on how to number one's days in the new year. The pastor walks through a process: identify areas where God is calling you to grow, determine how to grow in those areas (who to learn from, what to read, where to serve), and if uncertain, seek counsel from mature believers. The instruction is highly specific and directive."

Doctrinal loci· 9 surfaced

Sanctification · 6 Theology Proper · 4 Pastoral Theology · 3 Providence / Sovereignty · 3 Anthropology · 2 Christology · 1 Ecclesiology · 1 Eschatology · 1 Soteriology · 1

Bible citations· 13

Illustrations· 1

hypothetical · unit #9 — The pastor uses a hypothetical dream scenario to make the abstract metaphor of Psalm 90:5 concrete and emotionally resonant. The illustration helps the congregation experience how quickly and completely human life vanishes when viewed from God's eternal perspective.

Theological claims· 2

Psalm 90 is a Christian psalm because we, like Israel, have seen God's salvation and are trekking through the desert of this world toward our promised land of eternity with the Lord. unit #4
All our efforts to number our days, be satisfied with God's love, and have Him establish our work must be grounded in the gospel—Jesus died and rose so He would be our hope, salvation, and shepherd who will guide us through the year because we are His adopted children. unit #17

Quotations· 2

"resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think be most to God's glory and my own good, profit and pleasure in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now or never so many myriads of ages hence" — Jonathan Edwards (unit #0)

"we only have one life, which will soon be passed, only what's done for Christ will last" — Unknown (traditional saying) (unit #11)

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0 · The introduction sets up the sermon's occasion (the new year) and establishes a contrast between superficial resolutions and Edwards's God-centered approach to life planning

Well, for our kiddos, you're already heading out. That's great. Please head out to Children's Ministry. And for the benefit of our guests, my name is Dove Cohen. I'm a member here pursuing eldership, and I have the privilege and the opportunity to share God's word with you this morning. So grateful to you. I'm 90. Pray bless yours as well. We're going to be talking about truths and prayers for the new year. So Psalm 90, truths and prayers for the new year. So if you want to open up your Bibles to Psalm 90, we'll get there in a second. But as introduction, Jonathan Edwards once wrote, resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think be most to God's glory and my own good, profit and pleasure in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now or never so many myriads of ages hence. In the fall and early winter of 1722, Edwards penned the first 35 of his famous 70 resolutions, set against an acknowledgment of total dependence upon God. Edwards drafted statements that were God-entranced, biblically informed, statements that served to solidify his resolve, to make his life count for the glory of the Lord. Edwards' resolves are far cry from those popular New Year's resolutions made today. Resolves like exercise more, lose weight, eat better, spend more time with family, travel, take a social media break. Good things that Edwards most likely would have agreed with. But divorced from their relation to God, these resolutions can be void of much depth and meaning. So this morning, I want to help us to reflect upon our lives like Edwards. With the coming of another new year, we can feel the urge to look back upon how we've lived over the past months and year and look forward to how God may be calling us to live in the days and weeks ahead. That desire to reflect and plan and project, it can be a powerful and very helpful one. But we must be careful to do this reflection in light of Scripture and the eternal truths contained within it.

1 · This unit transitions from the introduction to the body of the sermon by announcing the text (Psalm 90) and providing the sermon's three-part outline: who is God, what is man, and prayer requests for the new year

So this morning, we're going to explore Psalm 90, a prayer of Moses. We're going to dive deep into the depths of the soul of a man who met God, that experienced both the trials and triumphs of human existence, and that prayed requests which flowed from the soul on behalf of a people, a people just like us, who have been rescued by God, who needed God's empowering grace to stay close to him, and who God ultimately held out the opportunity to know and experience him and glorify him throughout our days. So this morning, based on Psalm 90, it's a pretty simple outline. Who is God? What is man? And again, in light of these truths of who is God and what is man, we're going to look at some prayer requests for the new year, based on Psalm 90.

2 · The pastor reads Psalm 90 in its entirety, providing the congregation with the full text that will be exposited throughout the sermon

Before we do this, let's first read the passage. Let's read Psalm 90. A prayer of Moses, the man of God. Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, wherever you would form the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. You return man to dust, and say, return, O children, to man, for a thousand years in your sight, or but as yesterday when it has passed, or as a watch in the night. You sweep them away as with a flood. They are like a dream, like grass, that is renewed in the morning. In the morning it flourishes and is renewed, in the evening it fades and withers. For we are brought to an end by your anger, by your wrath we are dismayed. You set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. For all our days pass away under your wrath, we bring our years to an end, like a sigh. The years of our life are 70, or by reason of strength 80. Yet their span is but toil and trouble. They are soon gone and we fly away. Who considers the power of your anger and your wrath according to the fear of you? So teach us to number our days. We may get a heart of wisdom. Return, O Lord, how long. Have pity on your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love. We may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days you afflicted us and for as many years as we've seen evil. Let your work be shown to your servants and your glorious power to your servants, to your children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us and establish the work of our hands upon us. Let's establish the work of our hands.

3 · The pastor establishes the context of Psalm 90 by unpacking Moses's identity and experience

What these eyes had seen. In exploring Psalm 90 this morning, let's first consider the context of this psalm through its author, audience, and occasion. First, the author, Moses. In the title of this psalm, Moses describes simply with what may be the most meaningful title a human being could be given. Man of God. Consider what Moses throughout his life had witnessed. The inside of a woven basket. An Egyptian princess. A royal palace. A parched desert as he fled from Egypt. A burning bush. A bloody Nile. Frogs, flies, gnats. Fiery hail. Darkness. Death. A split red sea. A pillar of cloud and a fire. A trembling mountain. The back of God. This psalm comes from a heart that had experienced the holiness and grace and gravitas of the Lord. If any man had known the weight of God's glory, it was Moses. And this man, this man of God, had written this psalm on behalf of a people wandering through the desert. A people who had seen the salvation of the Lord. And then soon forgot. And complained. And charged the Lord. Yet remained within God's covenant faithfulness.

4 · The pastor makes the hermeneutical move from Israel's experience to the Christian's experience, establishing that Psalm 90 is 'a Christian psalm' because believers share Israel's trajectory: having seen God's salvation and now journeying toward the promised land of eternity

This is a psalm of wandering. Of trekking through the desert towards a promised land. Ultimately, this is a Christian psalm. For haven't we seen the holiness of the Lord? Haven't we experienced his grace? Haven't we seen his salvation? And aren't we trekking through the desert of this world who is our promised land of eternity with the Lord? Yes, this is a psalm written by a distinct man on behalf of a distinct people. But God gave it to us. God gave it to us to preserve deep truths and deep prayers. Truths and prayers that can deepen our souls as we pray them ourselves.

5 · This unit expounds Psalm 90:1-2, establishing God's eternality and His role as Israel's dwelling place across generations

So what do these truths preserve for us in Psalm 90? First, who is God? Who is God? It's a big question. Let's look at verse one. Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, wherever you had formed the earth and the world from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. God was Israel's dwelling place, their habitation, their home. He himself had been their rock of refuge for generations, from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob. Through the sojourning in Egypt, God had been the hope of the hearts of Israel. Their eyes had ultimately looked back to him for comfort, for hope, and for salvation. And they'd always known God as the eternal one. In the beginning, God had always rung in their ears. Truly, before the mountains were brought forth, wherever God had formed the earth and the world from everlasting to everlasting, like we sang, he's God. Just consider, before the mountains, before the seas, before the lights, God is. Before the earth had formed, when the spirit hovered over the waters, God is. Truly, from everlasting to everlasting, from eternity past, even from the moment when God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit decided to create this world, God is. God. This God was Israel's dwelling place, their hope, their confidence, their desire, their God.

6 · This unit expounds Psalm 90:3-4, establishing God's sovereignty over human life and His transcendence over time

Not only that, but consider verses 3 and 4. You return man to dust, and save eternal children to man, for a thousand years in your sight, or but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. Moses, and Israel knew, that God is God. He is the creator, and the sustainer, of all. He is the one, that returns man to dust. He is the one, who holds our days, in his hands. He is the one, that counts the hairs on our head. He's God. And for this great God, a thousand years, in his sight, or as but yesterday, or a watch in the night, truly time, is as nothing, to God. Time, which for us, can pass so, so slowly, as we sit at our desks, at work, whereas we, or it can pass through our hands, like sand at the beach, that we desperately, try to grasp. Time, a thousand years, the rise and fall of nations, the development, of new technologies, the advance of history, is but as yesterday, or a watch, in the night, to God. surely, this holy, great God, of infinite glory, is the God that Moses, and Israel, had encountered, as they walked through, a parted Red Sea, as they heard the thunder, at Sinai, as they met, God.

7 · A structural pivot from the first major section (who God is) to the second major section (what man is)

So that's who God is. What is man? What is man?

8 · This unit expounds Psalm 90:5-6, establishing the brevity and fragility of human life

Let's look at verses five and six. You sweep them away, as with the flood, they are like a dream, like grass, it is renewed in the morning. In the morning, it flourishes and is renewed. In the evening, it fades and withers. In Psalm 90, man is swept away, by the Lord. Our lives in God's hands, are at his full, and total discretion. We live, because he chooses for us, to live. And when it's time to sweep us away, like in the time of Noah, well, God sweeps us away, and death, as with the flood. I know, pretty sobering. But, this is scripture. This is what it says. We're like a dream, and like grass, that is renewed in the morning, that flourishes and then fades and withers. Truly, man is a breath. Man is a breath, compared to the eternality, of God.

9 · The pastor uses a hypothetical dream scenario to make the abstract metaphor of Psalm 90:5 concrete and emotionally resonant

Have you ever had a dream? You're in the middle of it, you're engaged in it, your heart is totally involved, as if it's real, and it seems to last for like hours, right? And then you wake up, and you realize that, it's now like 11, 15, like you've been asleep for like 10, 15 minutes. Maybe an hour. And, what was so vivid, for such a seemingly real amount of time, evaporates from your memory, within seconds. To Moses, in Psalm 90, that is man. We're a dream. We're grass. That is the life of man, compared to the eternality, of God.

10 · This unit transitions from the theological exposition (who God is, what man is) to the application section (prayer requests for the new year)

So, it's against this backdrop, that the weight of God's glory, and the ephemeral nature of man, that Moses then moves on, to make requests of the Lord. Requests fitting for a people, traveling through the desert, in need of God, every step of the way. And for a new year, how fitting are these requests, for us to pray.

11 · This unit presents the three prayer requests from Psalm 90 as the application framework for the new year

So, let's take a couple minutes, and meditate on a few. First, verse 12. So, teach us to number our days, for we may get a heart, of wisdom. A lot of what we've seen of God, in this psalm, and a lot of who we are, as God's creatures, and as God's people. It would be wise for us, to ask God, to help us to number, our days. To remember, we only have 70, or maybe 80 trips, around the sun, and each journey, well, each journey only lasts, 365 days. And when you're young, that may seem like, a lot of time. When you get, a little older, a little gray haired, I got some gray hairs growing, and you see life moving fast, your children getting so big, and so quick, and your body, beginning to show signs, of aging, it becomes more, and more apparent, that our lives, are finite. That we only get, so much time here, that for us to live lives, that magnify, the Lord, as much as possible, we must truly remember, to number our days, to count them, to consecrate them, to use them, for the Lord. So this year, may the Lord teach us, to number our days, that we may gain, a heart of wisdom. All right, second request, let's look at verse 14. Satisfy us in the morning, with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice, and be glad, all our days. May God, satisfy us, in the morning, and in the afternoon, and in the evening, with his steadfast love, like we sang about. Steadfast love, that has shown, that has been shown to us, through his common grace, for the food, that we feasted on, at Thanksgiving, and at Christmas, the clothes, that keep us warm, and the shelter, that protects us, from the elements. And steadfast love, he's shown for us, in giving us life, in sending us his son, of sacrificing, his son, of rising Jesus, from the dead, so we may know, his forgiveness, his justification, his sanctification, his adoption. How much of God, how much love, has he shown to us, that we can rejoice in, and be glad, in all our days. So this year, may the Lord, satisfy our souls. Every Sunday, every day we wake up, may our souls, be satisfied, with the steadfast love, of the Lord. So we can be glad, and rejoice, all our days. All right, one final request, the Lord, verse 17, let 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. Yes, as we head, into the new year, may the favor of the Lord, our God, be upon us, and may he establish, the work, of our hands. First, let's remember, who this great God is, that we want to establish, the work of our hands. He is the eternal one, the creator, the sustainer, the one for whom a day, is like a thousand years, and a thousand years, are like a day. This is the one, to whom we pray for favor, and who we ask to establish, the work of our hands. And let us pray, this great prayer then, that God, would establish, the work of our hands, in our hearts, in our marriages, in our parenting, in our jobs, in our church, in our community groups, in our discipleship huddles, in our preaching, and praying, our evangelism, and outreach, in our planning administration, in all we do, to build his kingdom, and his church. May we establish, may he establish, the work of our hands, may we grow deeper, in love, with God. May we lean on his word, more and more. May we deepen our knowledge, and appreciation, of the gospel, of his salvation. May we become more loving, may we become more bold, may he establish, the work of our hands, in 2024.

12 · This unit pivots from the abstract articulation of the three prayer requests to the concrete, practical instructions for living them out

So, all that being said, let's take a couple minutes, and just get really practical. A wise pastor, maybe sitting in the back, man in the camera, he once instructed me, that if we pray, for something sincerely, we should do everything we can, to bring it about. Obviously, in a spirit of reliance, upon the Lord, and acknowledgement of him, but also with all our heart, and soul. So how can we live in a way, that helps us to number our days, that helps us to be satisfied, with God's steadfast love, and invites the Lord, to establish, the work of our hands.

13 · This unit provides concrete, actionable instruction on how to number one's days in the new year

First, to number our days, to number our days, we must live, with intentionality, and acknowledging, that we only have, 12 months this year, we only have 52 weeks, we only have, 365 days. How can we be, as intentional as possible, in loving, living a life, worthy of God, and his great gospel? Consider, what do you believe, God is calling you to, this year? What do you want to be, and do, by the end of the year, or at least by Easter? Do you want to know, the nature of God better, and have a greater sense, of closeness to him? Do you want to understand, the gospel better? Do you want to grasp, a doctrine like God's sovereignty, in salvation more deeply? Do you want to be, a better husband, wife, son, daughter, church member, friend, where do you stand to grow? And again, what do you believe, God is calling you, to do or be, by 2025, for his name, and his glory? If you can articulate that, at least one or two areas, where you want to grow, then just think, how can I grow, in those areas? Who can I hang out with? Where can I serve? What podcasts, or sermons, or books, can I intentionally, take in, listen to, read? What content, or what good works, can I do, that will shape my mind, and heart, and that will help me, to become, that which God, would have me, to be? If you don't know, where to start, either in identifying, where to grow, or how to grow, ask a friend, ask a community group leader, ask a deacon, or an elder, take someone out, for coffee, say that you want, to number your days, live this year, with intentionality, and ask them, for counsel, ask them, for areas, that they think, you could grow in, or material, that will help you, to get there, it may take a meeting, or two, even with different people, but don't settle, don't coast, don't just float, acknowledge, that you only have, so much time, number your days, live with, the heart of wisdom, and pursue, where God, is calling you, to grow, and serve, we only have, one life, which will soon be passed, only what's done, for Christ will last, make it count, number your days, you may gain, a heart of wisdom.

14 · This unit provides concrete, actionable instruction on how to be satisfied with God's steadfast love

second, how can we be satisfied, in the Lord's steadfast love, more and more, every morning, every day, all year long, well, remind yourself of it, daily, consider building habits, that will support you, in doing this, write down, or just verbalize, to God, thanks for a few things, every morning, fill your home, or commute, with good quality, worship music, good worship music, that reminds you, of the truths of God, and who he is, and his steadfast love, pray with your spouse, or your children, or a friend, and just give thanks, for some time, each week, and consider, rededicating yourself, to spending time, with the Lord, even just 10 to 15 minutes, a day, as many days, as you can, reading the Bible, and praying, frankly, I have no better way, to get to know God better, and to experience, his steadfast love, than to spend time, with him daily, day in, day out, asking for a spirit, and then pursuing communion, with him, through his word, and prayer, and yes, while family, and marital devotions, are great, and yes, while Christianity, is a community experience, it is no less, an individual experience, if you cannot, or do not want to spend, 10 to 15 minutes a day, with the Lord, just by yourself, what's that saying, about your relationship, with the Lord, get alone with him, invest that time, with him, he will bless it, don't give up, on the times, with your spouse, and with your children, but get alone, with the Lord, he will bless the time, and pursue him, just individually, by yourself.

15 · This unit provides concrete instruction on how to invite God to establish the work of our hands

finally, how can we invite the Lord, to establish, the work of our hands, well, let's first make sure, we're doing what God, wants us to do, we're building our lives, according to his priorities, let's be prayerful, about how we're spending, our time, and maybe even invite, others opinions in, others thoughts in, others counsel in, to see what we need, to add to our lives, we need to take out, start, stop doing, and help us assess, if there's any, shifting, that we need to complete, or activities, that we need to eliminate, so we can invest, where God, would have us to invest more, second, let's make sure, that we are pursuing, God's church, God's kingdom, God's way, with excellence, integrity, and kindness, with holiness, and peace, and joy, with love, and courage, and boldness, and zeal, and all this, the what of life, and the how of life, let's also remember, the why, the Lord, let us live, for him, he is worthy, he owns us, and is there anything, that we want, more than to walk, in close fellowship, with him, to know him, to experience him, day by day, that, is what will satisfy, our souls, day in, day out, that's what will bring, us gladness, and joy, on Monday, and Tuesday, and Thursday, as we're headed into work, whereas we're coming down, the stairs, to shepherd our children, for the day.

16 · The conclusion synthesizes the sermon's argument, restating the two foundational truths (who God is, what man is) and the three prayer requests

so, in conclusion, God, is a great God, he is surely, our dwelling place, he is surely, the eternal one, he is surely, our creator, and sustainer, and we, we are finite creatures, totally dependent, on the Lord, with lives, that only last, so long, Jonathan Edwards, he recognized this, when he wrote, his famous 70 resolutions, may we, do the same, may we resolve, to live lives, in light of a God, who is great, and glorious, and alive, let's apply, the wisdom of Psalm 90, as we launch, into the year ahead, may 2024, be lived with intention, with the number, of our days, impressed upon our hearts, may 2024, be lived, in a deepening experience, of God's, steadfast love, rejoicing in that, on the easy days, and the bumpy ones, when it's sunny out, when it's cloudy out, knowing that, he is sovereign, and that he's shining, above the clouds, and he's always got, a good plan for us, and if it's cloudy out, we can trust, in a steadfast love, as the clouds will pass, and we'll see the sun again, in 2024, may God, establish the work, of our hands, hands dedicated, to building his kingdom, his way, for his name, and for close fellowship, with the Lord.

17 · This unit makes the critical gospel move, grounding all the sermon's application in the work of Christ

and ultimately, may we do all this, through the gospel, remembering that in all this, God is good, it will sin, we'll mess up, we'll forget the number, of our days, but God, God sent Jesus, to live, to die, to rise, so ultimately, he would be, our hope, so he would be, our salvation, so he could be, our shepherd, who will guide us, through this year, through dangers, tools, and snares, as well as, green pastures, and calm waters, he will guide us, because he's adopted us, into his family, we are his sons, and daughters, that he dearly loves, and he's dedicated, he's dedicated, the power, of his resurrection, to working everything together, for our good, all because of his grace, and for his glory.

18 · The closing prayer reiterates the sermon's main themes—God's eternality, human finitude, and the three prayer requests—bringing them directly before the Lord and asking Him to do what the sermon has instructed the congregation to pursue

skill, skill, Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. God, we praise you because you are our dwelling place. You are great, and you are good. And God, we confess that our lives are only so long. They're finite. You are eternal. They're finite. But Lord, we thank you. Lord, we thank you that you've given us the wisdom that we can count the number of our days. Let me get in hard wisdom. Lord, thank you that you have steadfast love that you want to bless us with. You want to remind us of every morning. Lord, thank you that you are eager. You are desirous to establish the work of our hands as we pursue your church, your kingdom, your way, your will this year. So we pray that you do that. We pray that you would help us to number our days, to know your steadfast love deeply and personally. And would you establish the work of our hands? We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

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January 7 · This sermon

Wisdom for the New Year

In light of God's eternality and our finitude, we must ask God to teach us to number our days, satisfy us with His steadfast love, and establish the work of our hands, living the new year with intentionality for His glory.

Psalm 90

Take it further

Discuss · apply · pray

Small groups

6 discussion questions

Moses opens Psalm 90 by saying, 'Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.' What does it mean that God is a dwelling place…

Daily readings

5-day reading plan

This week, we walk through Moses's threefold prayer for wisdom in finitude: numbering our days, finding satisfaction in God's steadfast love, and inviting Him to establish our work—each grounded in the gospel that makes us His adopted children.

Prayer

Teach Us to Number Our Days

Father, we stand before You in awe of Your eternality. Before the mountains were brought forth, before You had formed the earth and the worl…

Family table

A Thousand Years Like a Day

This prompt anchors in Psalm 90's contrast between God's eternality and our brief lives. Listen for your kids to grapple with what it means…

Couples

Numbering Our Days Together

What part of the sermon made you pause—the call to number our days, the invitation to daily satisfaction in God's love, or the challenge to…

Memorize

Psalm 90:12

This verse distills Moses's central petition and the sermon's main application: the call to intentional, gospel-centered living in the new year. Numbering our days is not morbid calculation but the spiritual discipline that produces wisdom—the very wisdom needed to live 2024 with clarity about what matters most.

Memory verse this week

Psalm 90:12

So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Why this verse: This verse distills Moses's central petition and the sermon's main application: the call to intentional, gospel-centered living in the new year. Numbering our days is not morbid calculation but the spiritual discipline that produces wisdom—the very wisdom needed to live 2024 with clarity about what matters most.

Draft · pending review

Sunday-evening family table

A Thousand Years Like a Day

For the parent

This prompt anchors in Psalm 90's contrast between God's eternality and our brief lives. Listen for your kids to grapple with what it means that their life is short but matters to God—and how that changes how they spend their time.

Chris talked about how to God, a thousand years is like a single day—but to us, even one day feels like a long time. If you could pick one thing you want to get better at this year, what would it be? And why does that thing matter to you?

works for ages 7+

Draft · pending review

Pray together this week

Teach Us to Number Our Days

Father, we stand before You in awe of Your eternality. Before the mountains were brought forth, before You had formed the earth and the world, You were God—and You will be God forever (Psalm 90:2). We confess that we live as though our days are endless, squandering hours as if time were infinite, forgetting that our life is but a breath, a span of seventy or eighty years that passes like the grass that grows in the morning and by evening is dried up and withered (Psalm 90:5-6). We drift through our weeks without intention, our months without prayer, our years without asking You to teach us wisdom. We pursue the work of our hands without inviting You to establish it, and we seek satisfaction in a hundred small things when only Your steadfast love can satisfy our souls.

Yet You have made a way for us through Christ. Jesus, Your Son, numbered His days perfectly—every hour spent in obedience to Your will, every work of His hands directed toward our redemption. He died and rose again so that we, like Israel in the wilderness, might be counted among Your covenant people, trekking toward our promised land of eternity with You (Psalm 90:1). In Him, our finite days are held in Your infinite hands, and our weakness is met by His sufficiency.

Teach us, O Lord, to number our days and gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12). Give us the grace to live this new year with intention—to name the areas where You are calling us to grow, to establish concrete means of pursuing that growth, and to seek counsel from those who know You well. Satisfy us each morning with Your steadfast love, and grant us the discipline to build daily habits of communion with You, that we might spend ten or fifteen minutes alone in Your word and prayer, remembering afresh who You are and what You have done. Establish the work of our hands in every sphere—in our marriages, our callings, our churches, our friendships—that all we do would glorify You and bear fruit for Your kingdom.

We commit ourselves to You this year, Father. We are not our own; we have been bought with a price. Teach us to live as those who know our days are numbered and our God is eternal, that we might spend them for Your glory and the good of Your people.

Draft · pending review

Couples · three questions over coffee

Numbering Our Days Together

What part of the sermon made you pause—the call to number our days, the invitation to daily satisfaction in God's love, or the challenge to invite Him into our work? What stirred in you?
Where in our marriage this year do we need to be more intentional about seeking God's establishment rather than our own effort—in how we lead our family, spend our time, or handle conflict?
What is one area of your life this year where you most need to be reminded that God's steadfast love is enough? How can I pray that reality into your heart this week?

Draft · pending review

Daily readings · Monday–Friday

5-day reading plan

Monday Genesis 1:1

Moses opens Psalm 90 by anchoring our prayer in a truth that Genesis establishes: before anything else existed, God was. He spoke creation into being. We are the creatures whose days are numbered because time itself is His creation, not ours. This week, let that reality settle—not to depress us, but to reorient us toward what truly lasts.

Tuesday Psalm 90:1

Moses's opening petition anchors the entire prayer: before asking for wisdom about our days, before requesting satisfaction or established work, he reminds us where we live. Our address is not our house, not our job, not our achievements—it is God Himself. When we pray to be taught to number our days, we pray from the safety of one who already dwells in the shelter of the Most High. That changes everything about how we face the year ahead.

Wednesday Psalm 90:12

This is Moses's first concrete request: teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Wisdom here is not information; it is the capacity to live rightly under God. When we count our days, we stop treating them as infinite. We identify where God is calling us to grow, we set concrete means of growth, and we seek counsel from those further along. Counting days is not morbid—it is the pathway to living with purpose.

Thursday Psalm 90:14

Moses's second request pivots from future wisdom to present sustenance: satisfy us each morning with Your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Notice the rhythm: *each morning*. Not once and for all. Daily. This is why the application calls us to 10–15 minutes alone with God in His word and prayer—we need to be reminded, again and again, that His love is the most real thing in the morning. That habit is not mere religiosity; it is the means by which we actually taste that His steadfast love is better than life itself.

Friday Psalm 90:17

Moses closes with his third request: let 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. Here is the capstone: every goal, every project, every effort we undertake in the new year belongs to Him. We do not establish our own work through effort alone; we offer it to Him and ask Him to make it solid, to give it weight and permanence. This year, as you set intentions and pursue them, remember—the establishment comes from Him, not from you. And that establishment is guaranteed only through Christ, who died and rose so that our adopted Father would be pleased to establish all we do for His glory.

Draft · pending review

Small-group discussion

6 questions for your group this week

Moses opens Psalm 90 by saying, 'Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.' What does it mean that God is a dwelling place rather than, say, a protector or a judge? What does that language tell us about the kind of relationship Moses is inviting us into with God?

Psalm 90:1

→ Where in your own life right now do you need to experience God as a place of refuge and rest rather than as a distant authority?
The sermon establishes that God is eternal—'Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God'—while we are finite, our days like grass that withers. How does that contrast reshape the way you think about your plans and ambitions for this year?

Psalm 90:2-6
Moses prays, 'Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.' What does 'numbering our days' actually mean in practice? What would change about how you spend this week if you genuinely believed your days were numbered?

Psalm 90:12

→ Can you name one area of your life where you're living as if you have unlimited time? What would it look like to 'number your days' there?
The sermon claims that to be 'satisfied with the steadfast love of the Lord' requires daily habits—specifically, time alone with God in His word and prayer. What's the difference between *knowing* God loves you and being *satisfied* by that love? Why does Moses think we need to be taught this?

Psalm 90:14
Moses asks God to 'establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands.' The sermon suggests this means inviting God into every area of our work—our jobs, our families, our creative efforts. What does it mean for God to 'establish' work rather than for us to establish it ourselves? What changes when we ask Him to establish rather than doing it alone?

Psalm 90:17

→ In what area of your life this year are you tempted to establish your own work without asking God to establish it?
The sermon concludes by grounding all three of Moses's prayer requests in the gospel—that Jesus died and rose so He could be our hope, salvation, and shepherd. How does the cross change the way you pray 'Teach us to number our days' or 'Satisfy us with your love'? What would be different if you prayed these prayers without the gospel?

Draft · pending review

Where this was preached

About the church

Providence Community Church

Lenexa, KS
Sundays · 10:00 AM
About us · What we believe

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# Providence Community Church

A church preaching expository sermons through the books of the Bible.

## Sermons
- [The Government on His Shoulder? (Isaiah 9:6-7, 2023-12-17)](/ProvidenceLenexa/sermons/2023/12/the-government-on-his-shoulder)
- [How Jesus is Establishing His Kingdom (Isaiah 9:6-7, 2023-12-24)](/ProvidenceLenexa/sermons/2023/12/how-jesus-is-establishing-his-kingdom)
- [Unity in Diversity (2023-12-31)](/ProvidenceLenexa/sermons/2023/12/unity-in-diversity)
- [Wisdom for the New Year (Psalm 90, 2024-01-07)](/ProvidenceLenexa/sermons/2024/01/wisdom-for-the-new-year)

## About
- [About the church](/about)
- [Plan a visit](/visit)

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