but the real reason i wanted to write was because of psalm 90:12. it says "teach us to number our days so can we can gain a heart of wisdom." other translations say different things...they pretty much all start with teach us to number our days, but they end with things like "that we may present to You a heart of wisdom," "so that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom," etc. one translation even says "teach us how short our lives really are, so that we may be wise." this one verse screams SEVERAL things at me.
1) teach us to number our days. we have a limit! we have a specific number of days we are going to live, and today is one of them. how incredibly precious is the time that we have RIGHT now, today! it's the only shot we will get at today. it's the only shot you will get at the next minute. it's almost gone. i don't want to miss out. and if you jump into a realization of here and now and get into what God is presently doing, you won't miss out.
2) time totally controls us sometimes. we have classes, meetings, times to eat, a specific time to write that paper, to do that report, to be at a game, to be at a practice, to be at church, gotta be at work at 8, got to watch that show at 9, have to set aside time for being on the road to get there, etc etc etc and who decides what time it is? some Verizon Wireless control center in colorado telling my phone what time it is. i look down, it tells me it's 12:21, and oh snap there's always a lunch rush at 1230, do i try to make it before or after? do you see what i'm saying?
3) we get caught up in that, and it's a burden. stress comes for a visit, and before we know it we're saying "i can't wait for this day to be over." i've been there, i was there a week ago, i know how it feels. but that is NOT how the full, abundant life that God has called us to live works! and man has God slammed that point home. teach us to number our days, so that we can gain a heart of wisdom. teach us to realize how precious every second of every day is so that we can gain a heart of wisdom.
4) a heart of wisdom COMES from the realization that every day is precious and it's never going to come again. one shot, one chance. this is wisdom. with this kind of perspective, everything changes. and your heart affects perspective. sure, we've still got to make all these appointments and we have to live by the colorado control center clock, but it doesn't have to control us and our attitudes. what about the people you get to smile at on the way to class, your office, in the mall? how many people know that you care about them based on something you DID or SAID today? your days are limited. you only have TODAY to let God impact and influence the world around you, through you. when you are living through tomorrow, it will be "today," and you'll still only have "today."
5)matthew 6:31-34: (this is Jesus talking.) "What i'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can be respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the times come." (the message.)
next time you catch yourself saying "i can't wait for this day to be over," think about it! i don't ever want to hear those words come out of my mouth again.
