Psalm 90:17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
    establish the work of our hands for us—
    yes, establish the work of our hands.

There are several strange, even ironic, things about this Psalm. It is the only one attributed to Moses, and that’s what makes some of its contents seem strange. In the first place, Moses is recorded as having lived to 120, not even starting his major ministry of leading the Israelites out of Egypt until he was 80, but verse 10 famously says that human lifespan is at most 80 years. Then there is this verse, asking God to “establish the work of our hands.” Moses is right up there with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as a founder of the Jewish race and nation, so his work is indeed established, as the great Lawgiver of history. If this Psalm is truly something he wrote, then it shows that even the greatest people are unsure of their place in history. We are totally dependent on our Creator, and that’s not a bad thing. The various things we achieve, the various honors we accrue, are all pretty meaningless on the scale of eternity, but at the same time they are important as indicators of our faithful stewardship of the abilities and opportunities we have been given. We are accountable to God for all that we do and say, but no other metric has any lasting meaning. We have meaning and value only in our Creator, and we need to be at peace with that.

My Grandmother Garrott, on the basis of this Psalm, decided that 80 years was enough, and she died before her 81^st birthday. There was no hint of suicide and it was all entirely natural, but it was like her body responded to her will and closed up shop. At 76, I have no idea how much longer the Lord will keep me here, but I don’t think I want to imitate my grandmother! Whether He says today is the day, or He has work for me past 100, even, my lifespan is my Lord’s business. I don’t feel like I have any major “work of my hands” to be established, but I would be very pleased if this church were still an active, healthy part of the Body of Christ at His return. My concern is not to be my “legacy” so much as it should be whether my Lord is pleased with me. A hymn from my childhood comes to mind: I am Satisfied with Jesus. My goals aren’t to be self-centered, but entirely focused on Him, because I will spend eternity with Him, and that’s what really matters.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the incredible heritage You have given me, through my physical family and especially through being part of Your family. Help me be a good steward indeed, not for my glory but for Yours. Thank You. Praise God!