"Teach us to number our days aright"

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Ps 90:12

As we approach the fag end of the current year, how fruitful it could be if we would pray with Moses this prayer.

Psalm 90 happens to be the oldest Psalm because it was written by Moses more than 1450 years Before Christ. Moses having now become a mature man looks back and see how fragile and short man's life on this earth.

Numbering our days: What does it mean to "number our days"? It means to recognize that life is very short. Moses is confessing that life is too short, they are numbered. Every man is destined to die after the appointed number of days to live in this world. There is an end to everything and nothing is permanent. The Word of God employs many illustrations to bring home to our hearts the brevity of life. Man's life is like "grass" (Ps 90:5-6), leaf (Isa 64:6), mist (Jas 4:14), handbreadth (Ps 39:5), etc. Everything has a numbered life validity - expiration.

God to teach us: Numbering our days can only be taught by God. How many people around us are numbering their days? Not many, most of them are busy in thinking about everything else (e.g. distance from earth to moon, sun, the number of light years it take to reach light from the nearest star, etc.). They have no time to think of their own short life. How does God teach us to number our days? God teaches us through His Word and through our own experiences of life and bereavement. God has given us the grace to be taught how short our lives are.

What is this "Wisdom"? The wisdom is to see the preciousness of time. Time is the most valuable thing all of us have. We have to utilize our precious time to "lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:20). How can we do that? By glorifying Him while we yet have breath.

How many of us are able to number our days wisely? Think for a moment. A number of my friends and acquaintances who witnessed the onset of 2008 are no longer living to see the end of the year. If we have failed to number our days, God is willing to teach us. Do we desire to have a heart of wisdom to number our days aright? God bless us.

I wish you all a Happy and Christ-centred New Year. (Ben)