Trisha Huffman | December 2, 2015
God Is For Us!
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and prosper for us the work of our hands —
O prosper the work of our hands!
Psalm 90:17
This verse reminds me of a sign I once saw on a college student’s desk:
“Pray as if everything depended on God. Work as if everything depended on you.”
The earlier verses in Psalm 90 speak of God’s anger and wrath, of toil and trouble, of affliction and evil. Typical Old Testament stuff. I prefer the optimism of verse 17, consistent with the promise of Advent and the good news of the New Testament.
The writer emphasizes God’s love and compassion, his inclination to give us joy and satisfaction even in the midst of life’s work and troubles. He also recognizes that we have to be willing to do our part to prosper and be productive. We have to work as if everything depends on our effort and, at the same time, have the faith that expects God’s favor.
We can and should believe that God is for us no matter the circumstances, for God has revealed his love for us in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
And if we pray for God’s grace, then we must work for his glory.
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