"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12
A dear friend shared this verse with me soon after I had my mild stroke. It challenged me to think hard. After reading this verse again and again, thinking, pondering and reflection, and talking to friends, I wrote this devotion:
How do you fill your days? How do you see time - each hour, day, week, year - as units to fill endlessly? Do you have plans, hopes or dreams of what you will do with your life? Is your diary filled with future events? Moses was a man who wanted to reach the Promised Land, but at the end of his life, he realised he had spent all his days working towards a goal that would not be achieved in his lifetime. he was confronted with hs mortality.
I was recently confronted with my own mortality after suffering a mild stroke. My life was filled to the brim with lots of good stuff. Domestic chores happened in the few cracks of space. My days were filled as if I were some invincible goddess with time to live life exactly as she chose. But I am no goddess and I am certainly not immortal. If we number our days, we accept that the time we've been given is a gift. Living as if today were our last day, we'd treasure it and think carefully about filling it - about fulfilling our responsibilities, such as being loving in the important relationships in our lives. We wouldn't presume to be in control of our future (see James 4:13-16). Yet in the midst of this uncertainty, we can still live each day confidently and at peace, trusting in the goodness of God that he will provide, sustain, love and not abandon. We would also hold confidently to the great hope of an eternal destiny.
Each day is God's - if we have wise hearts we will cherish each day as a uniqe opportunity to live as if we truly do fear our God. I am thankful to God for the opportunity to think about how I fill my days.
Prayer: "Loving Father, in the midst of my busy life, please help me to number my days. Help me to remember my mortality and that eternity with you is a reality. Thank you for today and each day of my life to come - they are yours - please help me to fill them wisely. I give you my diary, my plans, hopes and dreams - may you give me a wise heart as I fill my days." Amen.
It is still a challenge to think about how I fill my days.
A dear friend shared this verse with me soon after I had my mild stroke. It challenged me to think hard. After reading this verse again and again, thinking, pondering and reflection, and talking to friends, I wrote this devotion:
How do you fill your days? How do you see time - each hour, day, week, year - as units to fill endlessly? Do you have plans, hopes or dreams of what you will do with your life? Is your diary filled with future events? Moses was a man who wanted to reach the Promised Land, but at the end of his life, he realised he had spent all his days working towards a goal that would not be achieved in his lifetime. he was confronted with hs mortality.
I was recently confronted with my own mortality after suffering a mild stroke. My life was filled to the brim with lots of good stuff. Domestic chores happened in the few cracks of space. My days were filled as if I were some invincible goddess with time to live life exactly as she chose. But I am no goddess and I am certainly not immortal. If we number our days, we accept that the time we've been given is a gift. Living as if today were our last day, we'd treasure it and think carefully about filling it - about fulfilling our responsibilities, such as being loving in the important relationships in our lives. We wouldn't presume to be in control of our future (see James 4:13-16). Yet in the midst of this uncertainty, we can still live each day confidently and at peace, trusting in the goodness of God that he will provide, sustain, love and not abandon. We would also hold confidently to the great hope of an eternal destiny.
Each day is God's - if we have wise hearts we will cherish each day as a uniqe opportunity to live as if we truly do fear our God. I am thankful to God for the opportunity to think about how I fill my days.
Prayer: "Loving Father, in the midst of my busy life, please help me to number my days. Help me to remember my mortality and that eternity with you is a reality. Thank you for today and each day of my life to come - they are yours - please help me to fill them wisely. I give you my diary, my plans, hopes and dreams - may you give me a wise heart as I fill my days." Amen.
It is still a challenge to think about how I fill my days.
1 comment:
So true.
(I like the picture too).
Post a Comment