Seasonal Lives, Eternal Love

By Dean Collins

Charles Spurgeon and others suggest that David likely wrote Psalm 103 in the later stages of life. Reading through this beautiful psalm, you hear David reflecting not only on the greatness of God, but also on the shortness of life.

I don’t know what age it happened for you, but sometime in my 50s, and certainly when I reached my 60s, I found myself doing the same thing as David. There is a time in every person’s life when he or she realizes that you really can only do so much. But there is another time when you come to understand, through the eyes of faith, that most things you do in life will never be remembered. Only the things that somehow help another person discover the love of God truly last.

God’s love is for everyone and for all ages. God sent his son Jesus for everyone: the poor, the wealthy, the educated, and those who have limited capacity for learning. God cares for every person from every nation and in every century of time. And because God loves everyone and is daily advancing his kingdom through us, he also made sure that the Scriptures have passages that speak to everyone. The Word of God does more than prepare us for death, it is applicable for life now.

We see in the gospels that Jesus wanted the little children to come to him, and he also called everyone to be more like children in our willingness to believe and to receive the truth of God.

In 1 Timothy 4, Paul told a younger Timothy to not let anyone look down on him because of his youth. If God has called you to service, it doesn’t matter whether you are young or old. In 1 Timothy 5, Paul tells the church not to rebuke an older man, but rather, to encourage him as you would a father. Paul goes on to say that we are to treat older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, and, of course, practice purity with everyone of every age.

In Psalm 103 David said that just as a father shows compassion to his children, the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him (verse 13). Just two verses later, David, maybe reflecting on his own life, said:

“As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. “

I don’t know about the grass that grows in your yard, but after a long, hot summer, it definitely no longer has its vibrant green color at my house. It fades away in the cool of fall. And the flowers in the pots around my house are just about dead and need to be replaced with young and seasonal plants. Everything and everyone has a season. David said that though our lives have a limited shelf life here, the things of God are eternal, because God’s steadfast love is for everyone and at all times. God’s love endures forever, and when our lives are aligned with his purposes, the things we do here can also endure well past the grave.

Because of God’s abiding love, we can certainly join the psalmist, who said: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name!"

Father, thank you for your steadfast love. Give us the wisdom to look past what the world has to offer and to focus on extending your love far and wide, as well as nearby. We love you and bless your name! In Jesus's name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
1 Timothy 5:1-8; Psalm 103:1-22 ESV

Photo by Chandu R on Unsplash
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