Psalm 90
"The Brevity of Life"
by William D. Ramey

    A  The Lord is both the believers' Protector and Creator (vv. 1-2)
         B  The Lord's authority over man (vv. 3-6)
              C  Believers' iniquity brings forth the Lord's anger and wrath
                   (vv. 7-9)
                   X    THE BREVITY OF LIFE (v. 10)
              C'  Believers are to contemplate the Lord's anger and wrath
                    (vv. 11-12)
         B'  The believers' appeal to the Lord's covenanted mercy
               (vv. 13-15)
    A'  The believers' request that their works be confirmed by the Lord
          (vv. 16-17)

MESSAGE OF THE PSALM

The brevity of life should cause believers to contemplate the Lord's anger and fury and subsequent judgment because of their inappropriate living by appealing to Him to extend grace so that their works may reflect the everlasting Lord God's works.

"My Son, do not regard lightly the disciple of the LORD,
nor faint when you are reproved by Him;
for those whom the LORD loves He disciplines,
and He scourges every son whom He receives.
All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful;
yet to those who have been trained by it,
afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."
(Hebrews 12:5-6, 11)

(See also 2 Corinthians 5:10; Ephesians 5:5-10; Colossians 3:23--4:1)