Jump Start # 1446

Psalms 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”

  Psalms 90 is most likely the oldest of the Psalms. It is recorded as a prayer of Moses. Moses and David, who authored most of the Psalms, lived hundreds of years apart from each other.

This little expression, “teach us to number our days” is a very interesting thought.

First, this is something that we must be taught. Teach us to number, is what the text says. It doesn’t just come naturally. We learn how to count. We use numbers all the time. We can count our money. We have sleep numbers. Kids count how many days until their next break. Expectant mothers count the days until the due date. But our days seems to fly by and many of them seem like all the rest. Every once in a while we have a great day. Vacations are that way. Holidays are that way. Spending time with the grandkids is that way. And there are a few dark days mixed in there as well. Funerals, sickness, bad news—they darken the days for us. But most days are pretty much the same. Nothing really earth shattering takes place. Nothing much. I guess this is why teenagers always answer the question, “What’s going on?” with a “nothing.” Nothing much. Same old stuff. And in that, we fail to count our days. Each day is a gift from the Lord. Each day has the wonderful opportunity to honor God, glorify His name or be lost in the maze of nothingness. Just work. Just school. Just hanging out. Just housework. One day can seem like a thousand other days. But it’s not. There will never be another day with today’s date. Days are like snow flakes, no two are exactly the same. Count those days. Have you ever figured out how old you are in days?

Second, our days can be counted. Some things can’t be counted. The sand on this earth can’t be counted. The stars in the sky can not be counted. The saved in Heaven can’t be counted. That’s what the angel told John. God can count the number of hairs on our head, but most of us have never taken the time to count them ourselves. Our days can be numbered. Our days can be counted. This reminds us that they are not endless. They really are not all that many. Life is short. Time is precious. Time wasted can’t be earned back. There is no bank to store left over time.

Third, one day is not a life time. One day is simply that, one day. Our faithfulness is counted in more than just one day. A common expression used in the Bible is “walk.” Noah walked with God. Enoch walked with God. We are to walk in the newness of life. We are to walk worthy of our vocation. We walk in love. Walking is more than just one step. It implies movement, progression and forward going. Any one can take a step, but to walk, now that’s a different story. There has been many a person that took a step with the Lord but that was about it for them. One step and they were done. No more. Jesus kept walking, but these folks stopped. They weren’t with the Lord any more. Counting our days reminds us that not every day is Sunday. Sunday is the best day of the week. Sunday is just different for many of us. Our schedules are different. We gather with our church family. We worship. We are thinking less of the world and more about Him. However, not all days are Sunday. Some days are Fridays. Some days are Mondays. It’s that daily, consistent faith that makes the difference here. Anyone can love their mate on their wedding day. That’s pretty easy. But love them when they have the flu. Love them when they are cranky. Love them when they are not loveable. One day is not a lifetime. Count those days. Be faithful. Paul told Timothy to preach in season and out of season. Hunters understand seasons. Those that grow veggies understand seasons. Where I live, a person isn’t going out to their back yard and get a vine grown tomato in January. Won’t happen. It’s out of season. Some folks are out of season Christians. They are on it when it’s right, easy and popular. But when it’s not, they’ve turned the switch off.

One day is not a lifetime. Persistent prayer. Faithfulness even to death. Steady. Unmovable. Always abounding. Those great Biblical expressions remind us of our call to walk with the Lord every day. Walk with Him when at work. Walk with Him when at the mall. Walk with Him when alone. Not just Sundays. Not just when it is easy. Walk with Him as you visit the funeral home. Walk with Him when clouds hang above your head.

Fourth, One mistake isn’t a complete failure. Count your days. Number your days. Sins will happen. Mistakes will be made. There will be accidents. There will be trouble. Those are part of life. The prodigal messed up really bad. He lost his inheritance. It was gone. He came home a failure. However, he was forgiven and given a second chance. He didn’t jump off a bridge. He didn’t settle on the thought that he was doomed to be a failure the rest of his life. He came home. There were lessons learned. There were things seen that he had never understood before. We need to see that in our own lives. Yes, we have failed. Some won’t forgive themselves because of that. Some give up. Some can’t pick themselves up and return home. They need to count their days. They would see that God has been there. They would see the answer to prayers. They would see blessings from Heaven. Not all days are dark. Not all days are stormy. Count your days. You’ll see some sunshine in them.

What a great thought, “Teach us to number our days”.

Roger