Psalm 90:12 Teach us to count our days so that we may develop a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:13 Yahveh – how long? Turn and have compassion for your servants. Psalm 90:14 Satisfy us in the morning with your covenant faithfulness so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:15 Make us rejoice for as many days as you have humbled us, for as many years as we have seen adversity. Psalm 90:16 Let your work be seen by your servants, and your splendor by their children. Psalm 90:17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us; establish for us what our hands have made – establish what our hands have made!
turn and have compassion
This psalm began by recognizing the permanence of God, and the corresponding impermanence of humanity — mortal and under God’s wrath. It ends with an appeal for God to turn and have compassion. It pleads for God to have compassion for his nation and its children. It asks for a blessing for as long as they had adversity.
It is wise to know that our fate is in God’s hands. His mercy is all we need.
Psalm 90:9 Yes, all our days ebb away under your wrath; we finish off our years like a sigh. Psalm 90:10 Our lives last seventy years or, if we are strong, eighty years. Even the best of them are struggle and trouble; indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away. Psalm 90:11 Who understands the power of your anger? Your wrath matches the fear that is due to you.
flying away
What does flying away (עוף) mean in this passage? Does it mean we go to our reward at death, flying up to heaven? It would be crazy to think that when we read the passage in context. The psalmist has been emphasizing our mortality compared to God’s permanence. Verse ten is sandwiched between two statements about God’s wrath leading to our death. How can death be caused by God’s wrath against sin and also his reward for faithfulness? No, the picture of flying away here is that of our lives leaving us, like a bird flys away.
Psalm 90:7 Yes, we are being finished off by your anger; we run terrified from your wrath. Psalm 90:8 You have put our violations in front of you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
being finished off
Plumer says that verse 7 “reveals the awful secret, not before announced in this prayer, that death is penal.” He also points out that we all “deserve worse than ever befalls us in this world” from God’s wrath. (841). We may hide our sins from others, but they are never hidden from God. The wages of sin will be paid.
Our mortality is a constant reminder that we inherit death because of sin. The psalmist describes all of human life as a battle in which God fights against us, eventually finishing us all off. We spend our lives running from our fate and hiding the reasons that our fate is just.
There is no good news in these verses, but it is good news that the psalm is not over.
Plumer, William S. Psalms: A Critical and Expository Commentary with Doctrinal and Practical Remarks. Carlisle, Pa: Banner of Truth Trust, 1990
Psalm 90:5 You stop their lives; they sleep. They are like grass that grows in the morning – Psalm 90:6 in the morning it sprouts and grows; by evening it withers and dries up.
like grass
McEachern says that in this psalm “faith deals with the brevity of human life.” In the psalm, the “brevity of human life is compared to a flood, a dream, and (in the text above to) grass, which are short-lived” (113).
We need to keep our similarity to grass in mind because if we are not careful, we can waste time on inconsequential things. We don’t have the time to waste. The evening is coming when our lives will wither and dry up. We need to make hay while the sun shines.
McEachern, Alton H. Psalms. Nashville, Tenn: Broadman Press, 1981.
Psalm 90:3 You return mortal humankind to the dust, saying, “Return, children of Adam.” Psalm 90:4 Yes, in your sight a thousand years are like yesterday that passes by, like a watch of the night.
he bestows and withdraws
Rogerson & McKay comment on verse 3: “God both bestows and withdraws the life-force which makes man a living person as opposed to lifeless matter” (200).
He decides how much time each of us has, and he does not pass that information along. It, therefore, behooves us to use the time we have in the best possible way. Each day is a gift from him, and we do not know how many such gifts we will have.
Rogerson, J W, and J W. McKay. Psalms 101-150. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1977.
Psalm 90:1 Lord, you have been where we live generation after generation. Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the land and the world, from age to age, you are God.
from age to age
Mays points out that the theme of time “is woven through the whole (of the psalm) in a way that identifies time as the problem of faith with which the psalm’s theology is concerned (vv. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15)” (290).
It does us all good to stop and realize that God has preceded us in time, and will still be here long after we are sleeping in the dust. He is the permanent one. We are temporary — at least we are now. Those who put their faith in Christ are promised a permanent resurrection life, but we are not there yet. He is the only one who is from age to age.
Mays, James L. Psalms. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2011.
Titus 3:12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, put forth your best effort to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to spend the winter there. Titus 3:13 Put forth your best effort to support and send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos; so that neither of them lacks the resources to join me. Titus 3:14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good achievements, so they can bring relief in these urgent cases, and not be unproductive. Titus 3:15 The ones who are with me send greetings to you. Greet our friends in the faith. Favor be with you all.
best effort
There are seasons when the gap between desire and ability becomes painfully clear. The heart longs to accomplish more, to serve more fully, to meet every need placed before it. Yet limitations—of strength, time, resources, or circumstance—stand in the way. Scripture never denies this tension. Even the most faithful servants encountered moments when their intentions exceeded their capacity. Paul wanted to heal Trophimus but could not. David longed to build the temple but was not permitted. Moses desired to enter the land but was stopped at the border. These examples remind believers that limitation is not failure; it is part of the human condition.
What matters is not the ability to do everything, but the willingness to offer the best effort possible within the boundaries God has set. Faithfulness is measured not by the scale of the outcome but by the sincerity of the effort. The widow’s two coins were small, yet Jesus declared her gift greater than all the others because she gave what she could. The servant entrusted with two talents was commended just as fully as the one given five because both were faithful with what they had. God does not demand the impossible; God calls for wholeheartedness.
Courage is needed for this kind of faithfulness. It takes courage to keep showing up when the results seem small. It takes courage to offer one’s best when others appear to accomplish more. It takes courage to resist discouragement when limitations feel heavy. Commitment is required as well—the steady resolve to continue doing good, even when progress is slow or unseen. This commitment is not fueled by personal ambition but by trust in the God who sees every act of obedience, however modest.
The prayer that rises from this truth is simple and sincere: may God grant the courage to give the best effort available, and the commitment to persevere in that effort. Strength may fluctuate, opportunities may shift, and circumstances may restrict what can be done. But the heart can remain steadfast. The hands can remain willing. The spirit can remain devoted.
In the end, God honors faithfulness, not perfection. The offering of one’s best—however small it may seem—is never wasted. It becomes part of the quiet, steady work through which God accomplishes far more than any individual could imagine.
Titus 3:1 Keep reminding them to be submissive to their priorities and authorities, to obey them, to be ready to do every good achievement, Titus 3:2 to insult no one, to be a non-combatant, to be gentle, and to demonstrate consideration of all humans. Titus 3:3 Because we ourselves were once stupid, disobedient, led astray, slaves to our lusts and various pleasures, spending our lives by being mean and envious, hateful, hating one another. Titus 3:4 But when the goodness and loving kindness appeared from our Savior God, Titus 3:5 it appeared, not because of achievements done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Sacred Breath, Titus 3:6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, Titus 3:7 so that having been declared not guilty by his favor we might become heirs, confident of inheriting permanent life. Titus 3:8 The word is trustworthy, and I intend for you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good achievements. These things are good and profitable for humans. Titus 3:9 But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, arguments, and fights about the law because they are unprofitable and useless. Titus 3:10 As for a human who causes division, after warning him once and twice, refuse to participate with him, Titus 3:11 since we know that such a person has been warped and is being sinful; he is self-condemned.
mercy triumphs over stupidity
Harvey summarizes the argument of Paul here: “If God showed such kindness and love to men as he has manifested in saving us, we also ought to show kindness and love to all men” (142). Harvey’s summary captures the heart of Paul’s argument with striking clarity. Paul roots Christian ethics not in human effort, social expectation, or cultural norms, but in the character of God revealed in salvation. The kindness and love God has shown become the pattern for the kindness and love believers are called to display. The logic is simple and profound: God acted toward us with mercy when we were foolish, disobedient, and enslaved to passions. That mercy transformed us. Therefore, those who have received such mercy must extend it.
Paul describes humanity’s former condition in stark terms—spiritually blind, morally misguided, and incapable of rescuing itself. Yet God intervened, not because of righteous deeds, but because of his own compassion. He washed, renewed, and justified. He poured out the Spirit richly. He made heirs out of those who had nothing to offer. This divine generosity is not merely a theological truth to be affirmed; it is a moral foundation to be lived.
If God’s mercy reached into human ignorance and rebellion, then believers cannot withhold mercy from others because of their flaws, failures, or immaturity. The transformation God worked in us becomes the model for how we treat those around us. The gospel does not produce people who look down on the spiritually confused; it produces people who remember their own confusion and respond with patience. It does not produce people who demand perfection; it produces people who recall their own need for grace. The mercy that removed our spiritual stupidity becomes the mercy we extend to those still trapped in theirs.
Paul’s argument also guards against pride. No believer can claim moral superiority, because every believer stands where they stand only because of God’s kindness. This humility becomes the soil in which gentleness grows. The community shaped by such mercy becomes a living demonstration of the gospel’s power—people who treat others not as they deserve, but as God has treated them.
Harvey’s summary therefore reflects Paul’s intention: the kindness God has shown becomes the kindness believers must show. The love God displayed becomes the love believers must embody. The mercy that rescued us becomes the mercy we extend.
LORD, overcome our stupidity!
Harvey, H. Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles, First and Second Timothy and Titus, and the Epistle to Philemon. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1890.
Titus 2:11 Because the favor of God has appeared, announcing salvation for all humans, Titus 2:12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly lusting, and to live self-controlled, fair, and godly lives in the present age, Titus 2:13 waiting for our blessed hope, the glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Titus 2:14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are uniquely his — enthusiastic about doing good achievements. Titus 2:15 You should say these kinds of things; encourage and reprimand because you have every right to do so. Do not let anyone wonder about your right to teach them.
say these kinds of things
Paul’s instructions to Titus in this passage outline the core message he is to proclaim as he manages the mission work on Crete. His task is not administrative in the modern sense but pastoral, theological, and formational. He is to speak in ways that shape the community’s understanding of salvation, their conduct in the present age, and their hope for the age to come.
At the center of his message is the salvation God has revealed in Christ. Paul wants Titus to keep announcing that God’s grace has appeared—an event rooted in Christ’s incarnation, ministry, death, and resurrection. This salvation is not a human achievement or a philosophical insight. It is God’s decisive act of kindness toward a world trapped in sin. Titus is to keep this truth before the believers so that their identity remains grounded in what God has done, not in their own efforts or cultural expectations.
Flowing from that salvation is a call to renounce ungodliness. The gospel does not merely forgive; it trains. Grace becomes a teacher, instructing believers to turn away from the patterns of life that once defined them. For the Cretan Christians, this meant rejecting the vices that characterized their culture—dishonesty, self‑indulgence, and moral disorder. For believers in any place, it means allowing the gospel to confront whatever habits, desires, or attitudes contradict the character of Christ. Titus is to speak in ways that help the community understand that salvation leads to transformation.
But the transformation is not only negative—turning away from what is wrong. It is also positive—learning to live godly lives in this present age. Paul envisions believers who are self‑controlled, upright, and devoted to good works. These qualities make the gospel visible. They show that the grace of God has taken root. Titus’s teaching is meant to cultivate this kind of life, shaping a community whose conduct reflects the reality of the salvation they have received.
Finally, Titus is to direct the believers’ attention toward the next age. The present age is marked by brokenness, temptation, and mortality. But another age is coming, and it will begin when Jesus appears in glory at his second coming. This hope is not an escape from responsibility but a motivation for faithfulness. The appearing of Christ will bring the fulfillment of salvation, the resurrection of the dead, and the renewal of all things. Titus’s teaching must keep this hope alive so that the believers live with expectation and perseverance.
This passage, then, gives Titus a threefold message: proclaim the salvation God has revealed, train believers to live transformed lives now, and anchor them in the hope of Christ’s glorious appearing.
Titus 2:1 But you should say what fits in with healthy teaching. Titus 2:2 Teach older men to be balanced, dignified, self-controlled, healthy in the faith, in the care, and in the perseverance. Titus 2:3 In the same way, teach older women to be reverent in how they act, not slanderers or slaves to a lot of wine. They should be good teachers, Titus 2:4 so that they can train the young women to show love to their husbands and show love to their children, Titus 2:5 to be self-controlled, devout, hard workers for their families, good, and submissive to their own husbands, so that the word of God may not be accused of being useless. Titus 2:6 In the same way, encourage the younger men to be self-controlled. Titus 2:7 Offer yourself to be a model of these good achievements in every way, demonstrating in your teaching integrity, dignity, Titus 2:8 and a healthy message which is beyond criticism, so that anyone wanting to oppose you may be put to shame, finding nothing worthless to say about us. Titus 2:9 Teach bond-servants to be submissive to their own employers in all matters; they should be satisfactory, not argumentative, Titus 2:10 not embezzling, but demonstrating that they can be trusted to do all kinds of good so that in everything they make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
training in consistent living
Barnes paraphrases the text in 2:5 as “That the gospel may not be injuriously spoken of on account of the inconsistent lives of those who profess to be influenced by it” (343). Believers from every background and personality type must be trained to live in a way that aligns with the gospel we confess. The Christian life is not shaped by instinct or by the momentum of past habits. It is shaped by intentional formation—learning to let the message of Christ govern attitudes, decisions, and relationships. Paul’s instructions to Titus assume that every believer, regardless of age, gender, or social position, needs this kind of training. No one drifts into godliness. It is cultivated.
The temptations faced will differ from person to person. Some struggle with anger, others with self‑indulgence, others with fear, pride, or dishonesty. Some must learn restraint; others must learn courage. Some must learn to speak; others must learn to be silent. The gospel does not erase these differences. Instead, it addresses each one with the same transforming power, teaching believers to renounce what is destructive and to embrace what reflects Christ. The Spirit works within each life, but the community also plays a role, encouraging, correcting, and modeling what faithful living looks like.
What unites all believers is the responsibility to demonstrate that the word shaping their lives has made them trustworthy. The gospel is not merely a message to be repeated; it is a truth to be embodied. When believers live with integrity, consistency, and self‑control, they show that the grace of God has taken root. Their conduct becomes a visible testimony that the gospel is not empty talk but a power that reshapes character. This is why Paul emphasizes good works—not as a means of earning salvation, but as evidence that salvation has taken hold.
Trustworthiness is one of the most compelling forms of witness. A believer who keeps promises, speaks truthfully, treats others with dignity, and handles responsibilities faithfully becomes a living argument for the credibility of the gospel. In a world marked by instability and self‑interest, such lives stand out. They make the teaching about God attractive, not by clever words but by consistent character.
Training in godliness, then, is not optional. It is part of the calling of every believer. The gospel that saves also instructs, shapes, and equips. As each believer learns to overcome personal temptations and live in alignment with the message proclaimed, the community becomes a living demonstration of the transforming grace of God.
LORD, make us consistently godly.
Barnes, Albert, and Ingram Cobbin. Notes on the Epistles to the Thessalonians, to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon: Explanatory and Practical. Edinburgh: Gall & Inglis, 1840.
