Psalm 103: Yahweh Will Outlast Me

Psalm 103:15–18 LSB

15 As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flowers. 16 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer. 17 But the lovingkindness of Yahweh is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, 18 To those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts to do them.

“as for”

Compare and contrast between humanity and God.

In this comparison we find 2 facts we need to embrace and respond to...

Fact #1

Humans Have a Fragile Existence

Psalm 103:15–16 LSB

15 As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flowers. 16 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer.

“man”

All of human kind. Everyone is included.

“his days are like grass”

The extent of a human’s life is being compared with a small plant that is continually being cut, restrained, and dug up. The grass is completely at the mercy of God’s sovereignty. It has no way to change it’s destiny. It has no way to way to lengthen it’s life. Grass has to adapt and change with the seasons.

“as a flower of the field, so he flowers”

There are seasons where a flower is dormant and growing. Other seasons it blooms and looks beautiful.

Flowers are never always in bloom. They have to wait for their time.

“When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer.”

Flowers and grass eventually succumb to the ravages of nature. Just like a huge wind storm coming in and decimating a forest, so can human life be swept away by time. Life is over, sometimes, before you even see its end coming.

Human’s Have a Fragile Existence

If this is true, here’s how you should respond...

DO THIS: Loosen Your Grip On Your Plans

Meaning, don’t build all of your life upon things that you can’t really control

You’ve probably all seen a movie where someone has all these plans for their life and then the rest of the movie is about them having their plans shattered and learning how to just go with the flow.

You don’t know how long you have on this planet

James 4:14 LSB

14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

You don’t have as much control as you think

Winds of life will come upon you without you being able to change them.

Some put all their plans into success and wealth.

Luke 12:16–21 ESV

16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Your plans may not fit Yahweh’s purposes

Proverbs 19:21 ESV

21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Humans have a fragile existence

so you should...

Loosen Your Grip On Your Plans

Fact #2

Yahweh Has an Everlasting Existence

Psalm 103:17–18 LSB

17 But the lovingkindness of Yahweh is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, 18 To those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts to do them.

Because Yahweh is everlasting and eternal, His attributes are everlasting and eternal. He is the only being like this.

My attributes change.

When I was a under 5 years old I had blonde hair. Now I have brown hair.

I used to be a lot of fun to hang out with. Now I’m boring.

I used to not be very attentive to the needs of other people, like my mother. Now I see the importance of my relationships.

Your attributes change too.

Maybe in middle school you used to be really good as a CENTER BACK because you were more observant. You could read the field perfectly and could predict how and when the other team might move in towards the goal. Now that your older, you’ve slowed down a little in being able to read everything and now you’re better at offense so you play FORWARD because your able to pass well and score.

The point is, you are forever changing. But Yahweh doesn’t.

If Yahweh was loving towards you when you were young, He will be loving towards you when you are old. He doesn’t change, therefore, his love doesn’t either.

‌God is righteous and will always be righteous. He acts righteously towards you and He will act righteously towards the group of girls sitting in this stairwell 20 years from now.

The fact is that Yahweh gives all people a common love or common grace. But God also shows a special love or special grace.

Common Grace - Everyone experiences this: You were created, you get to taste good food, you get to experience pleasure, you get to breath air, enjoy a sunset, etc.

Special Grace - This is something only people who enter into Covenant with God receive (those who willingly and submissively receive His restrictions for relationship). People like this receive forgiveness of sin, protection from evil spiritual forces, pleasure of relationship, and resurrection from the dead.

Yahweh’s special and common love never change. He will never stop being loving or good.

Yahweh Has an Everlasting Existence

If this is true, here’s what you should do about it:

DO THIS: Tighten Your Grip On Jesus

Jesus is the everlasting love of Yahweh

1 John 4:10 LSB

10 In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Jesus is Yahweh’s righteousness towards us and our children

Jeremiah 23:5 LSB

5 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and prosper And do justice and righteousness in the land.

Jesus is our law and covenant keeper

Matthew 5:17 LSB

17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

Yahweh has an everlasting existence

so you should...

Tighten your grip on Jesus

Facts

Human's have a fragile existence

Yahweh has an everlasting existence

Today’s game is unpredictable. You might go out there today and play your hardest and then end the game early on a stretcher.

Are you ready for a situation like that?

I think this to-do list can help you get ready:

To Do List

Loosen your grip on your plans

Tighten your grip on Jesus

You need Jesus now. But you especially need Jesus when your fragile existence is threatened.

How tightly are you holding on to your plans?

How tightly are you holding on to Jesus?

As we close… think about what your holding tightly to and take a moment to ask God how you need to adjust your grip.