“He has broken my strength in midcourse; he has shortened my days. “O my God,” I say, “take me not away in the midst of my days— you whose years endure throughout all generations!”” Psalm 102:23-24 ESV
Reflection: what are your perspectives on life?
Around 1998, I attended a conference and trade show in New York City. One afternoon, a group of us decided to head over to the World Trade Center. While I had been there once before, it was difficult to prepare for that experience. The sheer size of these buildings, with their architecture and straight lines reaching towards the sky. Standing close, looking up is an experience hard to explain, how small one feels in perspective to the almost 1400 feet, 110-story buildings. Since the weather was good that day, a few of us took the elevator to the rooftop. Only 3 years later, September 11, we all know what happened. And with that in mind, in retrospect, my perspective once more changed. Not only with respect to their beautiful architecture, but now with an event that changed world history.
Perspective is a very interesting concept, when you think about it. We tend to look at most things in relation to something else. Whether we think something is expensive or a good deal; if something is easy or difficult; small or big; short or long, and so on. We also tend to look at life in perspective; what is a “good” life, a “long” life, and so on. The question always is what we compare to. What is the reference we use in our perspective.
We can see in psalm 102 the psalmist struggling with this paradox – the perspective of shortness of this life, and the eternity of God. That in a way we get a taste of life here, perhaps even something we would consider very good in retrospect. But whether we have 1, 10, or even 100 “good” years, we see the shortness in perspective of something eternal. The psalmist writes “He has broken my strength in midcourse; he has shortened my days. “O my God,” I say, “take me not away in the midst of my days— you whose years endure throughout all generations!”” Psalm 102:23-24 ESV. Notice this recognition – of the life of the psalmist, versus an eternal God, throughout all generations. “But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations.”Psalm 102:12 ESV.
And although he knows that his life is short in an eternal perspective, he recognizes that God is doing a great work, that will be revealed at some point. He is pointing forward to the restoration of Zion through Jesus Christ “You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come. For your servants hold her stones dear and have pity on her dust. Nations will fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory. For the Lord builds up Zion; he appears in his glory; he regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer.” Psalm 102:13-17 ESV
While we may question our own situation at times, our suffering and even cry out to God to extend our lives, to heal the sick, to restore the broken, we can also, as the psalmist lift our eyes and with an eternal perspective declare “Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end. The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you.” Psalm 102:25-28 ESV