apr22 athousandyears

A Thousand Years

Psalm 90:4 (ESV) – For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.

The eternal nature of God is a mind-blowing attribute. If we slow down to consider that God has always been, it staggers the imagination. He has always existed. There has never been a moment where the LORD did not have His being. There was a time before galaxies, stars, time, and people existed. But there has never been a time without the Living God. There never will be either. 

This subject of God’s eternal character arises in our passage today. We read in Psalm 90:4, “For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.” 

This psalm captures the theme of God’s eternal nature. A thousand years in God’s sight are but as yesterday. When you think about yesterday, you can remember most of the details. It feels close and near to you. The conversations and activities are not far from your mind. But a thousand years? We barely comprehend history from a thousand years ago. We read books and first-hand sources to get an idea, but it is foreign to us. But for God, a thousand years are like yesterday. The author could have said a million years or a billion years, and the outcome would have been the same. God sees everything in real time. He is present with every moment and does not experience life or events in time the way we do. 

Again, this staggers the imagination. How do we wrap our minds around this? We don’t. We can strive to gain understanding, but we will never exhaust comprehension. God sees a thousand years as if it were last night’s activities. This is fascinating. 

The eternal God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He does not change. He has always been what He is and will never be otherwise. That is an incredible thought to reflect on. But what this means is that we can bank on Him. He is there.


He is present. God’s character stays consistent for all time. His Word doesn’t change because His mind doesn’t change. This gives us a pathway for living faithfully
under His Word.

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We know it pleases Him when we obey, and we never need to question if God’s standard has shifted. 


Reflection & Journal:
- Why is the eternal nature of God such an important topic?
- What aspect of God’s eternal nature blows your mind the most?
- How should God’s eternal nature comfort us and provoke our devotion?


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