Most theological scholars believed that Moses wrote this prayer after being told by God that he and the whole generation of 20 years and above then (except for Joshua & Caleb) lost that privilege to enter the promised land because of a lack of trust & faith in God that he struck the rock in anger to bring water out for the grumbling Israelites to drink instead of speaking to the rock as the Lord had told him. They had to continue wandering in the wilderness until that whole generation who disobeyed God died in the desert (Numbers 20).
With that as a background, we
read that Moses started the prayer by reflecting on who God is -our dwelling
place (v.1), Creator, Everlasting God (v.2) and Judge (v.6). Then he recalled
what they have gone through, standing under the wrath of God (v.7-11), and
ending that prayer requesting God for wisdom and compassion.
It is comforting to note and be
reminded that in these challenging times, with the unceasing presence of the
coronavirus, that God is our dwelling place. He has been our dwelling place throughout
all generations. In John 15:4, it says,
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you.” As we remain in Him, He will continue
to refresh us and shelter us from all harm. Let us not “run away” from God but
rather “run towards” Him and find our refuge in Him. When God is our dwelling
place in the midst of our everyday life, we can tap into His divine power. As
mentioned in 2 Peter 1:3 that “His divine power has granted to us everything
pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called
us by His own glory and excellence.”
The reflection on God as the
creator reminded us that God was there in the very beginning, before the earth
was formed. Knowing He is our Creator reinforces our confidence that God can
and will take good care of us. God is also our Judge. When our lives come to an
end, all of us will face the judgment of God (2 Cor 5:10). Knowing that
statement will help us not to think that we are invincible, and will led us to
seek for God’s mercy.
Verse 12 reminds us to number our
days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. It is very easy for us to put off the
important things of God until we have time to do. We tend to be so busy living
our lives. But the problem is that time does not wait for us. Time is precious.
When the minutes and seconds passed, we cannot take them back. We must make
full use of time by investing them for a good cause, to do God’s will. When we
do that we will reap in a good harvest in due time. If we keep telling God to
wait, the day may come when it is too late to do anything at all. Life is short.
It is like the morning fog as mentioned in James 4:14. No one knows the length
of their life, only God knows. Therefore, we need to work to make the most of
each day by living wisely, live life with God in mind.
Suggested Personal Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for being my
dwelling place. I ask for your wisdom and strength to enable me to walk in your
ways. Help me not to take for granted each new day that you have given to me,
but to know how to spend that day wisely with you in mind.
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