Number Your Days

Text: Psalm 90:10-12

            The Lord is eternal, but people are mortal. This psalm (attributed to Moses) recognized the limitations people have in comparison with God. Life expectancy was identified here as being 70 or 80 years. In this amount of time, all that a person needs to accomplish on earth must be accomplished. Yet, while this may at times seem like a “long” time, it all passes quickly and is an insignificant amount of time in God’s sight. And, even this time that a person has on earth is full of struggle and sorrow. The only proper response to these truths is to number one’s days (keep them in the proper perspective) and develop wisdom for how to properly navigate them.

            It can be easy to lose perspective in the midst of the struggles of life. When struggles and sorrows come, one may believe such is just a temporary setback and develop the longing for the time when things “get back to normal.” In these times, it is common for people to try and distract themselves from the struggles and sorrows they experience by finding earthly sources of pleasure and comfort. Yet, these don’t last either. Then, the idealistic picture of life is never truly experienced – as storms continue to come and bring more struggles and sorrows. Sadly, many never learn to embrace the struggles as a necessary and unavoidable part of life that should teach them to put their lives in the proper perspective.

            Today’s response to hearing God’s word is this: Number your days. Don’t live seeking fulfillment in the things of this life. Rather, embrace life for what it truly is – extremely temporary and full of struggle and sorrow. Number your days by refusing to seek your fulfillment in the things of this earth, recognizing only God can lead to this fulfillment. Number your days by preparing your soul for the time that you will fly away into the spiritual afterlife. Then, number your days by living every day for God and what truly matters!