NUMBERING OUR DAYS
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Psalm 90:12
In this prayer, the request is made for God to assist in the matter of appreciating and utilizing the great gift of time. What an important lesson for each of us to consider. Of all the resources we are entrusted with, this is one that cannot be regained when wasted. Once time is spent, it cannot be reclaimed. The Psalmist recognized the need for divine assistance in the management of his schedule, asking for God to “teach us to number our days.”
We need God’s help to become good stewards of our time, and we can be certain that God is interested and available to train us. There is much in the Scripture in this regard. The Bible warns us about the danger of slothfulness, instructs us about the importance of redeeming our time, admonishes us to live by priorities, and cautions us about the brevity of our lives. God promises to grant wisdom to those who request it. With great confidence, we can trust the Lord to help us learn to use our time more wisely.
Perhaps there has never been a busier generation than the one we live in. Most of us have full schedules and never experience the satisfaction of knowing that all our tasks have been completed. We complete every day and every week disappointed that we did not accomplish more. This can become frustrating if we are expending great amounts of time on things of lesser importance, and leaving critical responsibilities undone. Every new year is begun with the sincere desire to somehow squeeze more productive time into our days. As a rule, many activities, responsibilities, and opportunities cry out for our attention. We need God’s help in arranging our schedules so that time is allotted for things that are most important.
The Psalmist tells us that learning to number our days will help us “apply our hearts unto wisdom.” As we consciously seek to prioritize our activities, and recognize the importance of faithful stewardship in our scheduling, we will gain wisdom for our decisions. When a person is careless about the choices he makes and the way his time is used, he will waste much time in his daily schedule. We must learn to put first things first, beginning with time spent each day in Bible reading and prayer. As we look to the Lord and trust Him to guide us, we can schedule our days to accomplish His will.