Friday, September 13, 2013

TEACH ME TO NUMBER MY DAYS


I’ve been thinking the last several hours on the following verse by the psalmist; this particular psalm being attributed to Moses.  It actually ties in with the thoughts from the last couple of blog posts.

Psalms 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

It’s the phrase “teach us to number our days” that has my attention.  When I looked at the Hebrew for “number,” it was the ideas of  “to weigh out” and “prepare” that caught my eye.  Those ideas connected in my mind to the thoughts of another truth shared by the brother of Jesus.

James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

I wonder how many of us actually live in light of the truth presented in these verses.  It doesn't matter how old we are or how healthy we are; we are none of us promised tomorrow.  My pastor posed the questions recently, “What if you knew you only had one more day to live?  What would you do?”  Frankly, according to the teaching of scripture as revealed in the above verses, we should be living every day as if it were our last. 

That thought should cause no fear in the heart of the child of God, but it should give us pause as we consider how to invest our time and energy each day.  Are we doing things that will honor the Savior?  Are we acting so as to share His love and truth with others?  Would we be pleased to invite the Lord in to share in our activities if He showed up at our door?  The truth is—His indwelling Spirit is with the believer in everything we do. 

It was significant to note that being careful to weigh out and prepare our days is connected to applying our hearts to wisdom.  So, how do we obtain wisdom?  The psalmist tells us that the fear of the LORD and obedience to His word is where we start.

Psalms 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments….”

Obedience to God’s word is also the evidence that reveals whether or not we truly love God.

1 John 2:3–5 “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”

It’s pretty obvious to me from the prophecies recorded in scripture that we are living in the final days before Jesus returns both to take His family home to the Father (the rapture) and then again at least seven years later to reign as King of kings on planet earth from the throne of David in Jerusalem.  The extent of those final days we cannot know—but we are definitely in the season, and I think the Lord holds us accountable to recognize that fact in light of His words to the religious leaders of His day.

Matthew 16:1–3 “The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?”

I hope that considering these scriptures, you will join me in taking time each and every day to give yourself to the Lord anew and ask Him to help you honor Him with all you do and say that day.  Make sure that you are ready to meet the Savior today—whether in the rapture or in passing from this life to the next.

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