Teach us to Number Our Days

Daily Bible Reading: Day 304

Turks Cap in my garden this fall

Psalms and Wisdom
Psalm 90

Pentateuch and History
1 Kings 22:1-40

Chronicles and Prophets
Zechariah 3

Gospels and Epistles
James 3:13-18

More hours in the day.  Do you ever wish for more hours in your day?  I read Psalm 90 this morning with that wonderful verse, "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."  It is not more hours that I need but rather to make good use of the hours I have been given.  Setting priorities that are in line with God's Word.  That is proving easy to say much harder to put into practice.

But what exactly is this Psalm telling us.  Why is it important to "number our days" and what does that even mean?

Some scholars think that this Psalm was written my Moses.  I am going with them on that.  Let's look at where Moses starts his thoughts.

Lord, you have been our dwelling place1
in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

You return man to dust
and say, “Return, O children of man!”
 For a thousand years in your sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,
or as a watch in the night.

You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning:
in ithe morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.

God is timeless.  God existed before the world began-from everlasting to everlasting-He has no beginning and no end.  God is the Creator of all that exists and we are a part of His creation.  He determines how many are our days.  A proper perspective of our place in this world begins with recognizing who we are and who God is and that He is not to be trifled with.

Now that Moses has established who is really in control here it is time to move on to our relationship with the God who holds are lives in His hands.

For we are brought to an end by your anger;
by your wrath we are dismayed.
You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.

For all our days pass away under your wrath;
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
 The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
 Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you?

God as Creator and Sustainer has every right to lay down the rules for us to follow.  How are we doing with that?  Not well at all.  How many verses are there in God's Word that point out man's depravity.  I, even I, have harbored sin in my heart.  Have struggled to keep my thoughts on that which is pure and lovely and worthy of praise.  Well, Paul has said it well, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)  And then there is Moses.  Think about his life as the leader of God's people during the exodus from Egpyt.  The journey into the promise land was laden with disobedience,  the death of those he loved, and the blow of not being allowed to set foot in the promised land himself after responding in anger that led to his own disobedience of God's word to him.  He witnessed God's anger poured out on a sinful people and it was terrifying.  Toil and trouble that is what we have brought  upon ourselves.  We do well to consider the power of God's anger.  We do well to fear His wrath.  This is a man who knows full well that it is indeed a "fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:31)

So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
 Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.  Number our days.  I love this quote from James M. Boice: 

 "Of all the mathematical disciplines this is the hardest: to number our days. We count everything else, but we do not seem able to use our days rightly and with wisdom."
Boice, J. M. (2005). Psalms 42–106: An Expositional Commentary (p. 744). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.


Tomorrow is not guaranteed.  When I woke up this morning I was still breathing but my last breath could come at any moment.  So how important are the things I am investing my time in?


My reading today concluded with these words from James.  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.  And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.  -James 3:17-18, ESV


Praise God that IHe is my dwelling place, that He has rescued me from HIs wrath by pouring out the blood of His precious son to pay the penalty for my sin.  Now let me learn to number my days and gain a heart of wisdom.  The Promised Land may be closer than I think.


Grace, Peace, and Mercy,
Deb