“So teach us to number our days, that we
may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” – Psalms 90:12
In King David’s day the process of numbering was much like that
of the US Census. However, in David’s
day, the numbering was more specific to military purposes. They would take inventory to see how many men
they had who could draw a sword and go to war if the time ever called for
it. This figure was instrumental in the
King’s decision making process. While I
image it brought a fair amount of pride to the sitting King, it also was a
calculated decision set forth to produce fact; after all, war could often be a
numbers game. The numbering of the
people was an evaluation process, a counting of the cost, it was done carefully
and determinedly so that Kings could know where to apply their forces.
Time is a precious commodity; perhaps the most precious we have
on earth. Fortunes are spent on how to
save time, extend time, or determine how to spend our time more effective. If you went and picked up any “lifestyle”
magazine, I would venture to say that somewhere in that magazine is a “tip” on
how to: save, extend, or allocate time more effective. While I am sure there are some helpful hints
along the way, I believe King David had a far better idea. He asked God to teach us to “number our days.” We as people fall under the bewitching
ideology that we have “tomorrow”. We
know that our days on this earth are limited, we know that we are not promised
tomorrow, and we know that our time here is precious. However, for reasons I cannot understand and
find myself totally guilty of; we seem to invest our time in a very cavalier
(and often selfish) manner. The society
we live in does nothing to check or counsel against this behavior, in fact,
they champion it. Furthermore, those
that are “life hackers” turn around and make millions writing books and manuals
on how to be a “life hacker” yourself.
This is the reason that David had the right idea. He turned to God and said teach us to number our days. He understood the need to take inventory
on what you have so you could then know how to correctly apply your forces
(whether they big great or small) to serve a larger purpose. He understood this process, he did it, with
men’s lives. Husbands, sons, fathers,
were counted and classified; brought to David and it was up to him to decide
where these men would fight, if to fight at all. Teach us to number our days. Lord help us to understand that our run on
this earth is a short one and the moments we spend here should be applied in
the manner as you see fit. Help us to
number them with the care that a King would to the lives of his people. So that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom.
We all have 24 hours in a day.
Often we use the phrase “I just don’t have any time”; and for some that
is true. A single mother working two
jobs probably doesn’t have much time to herself. Only you and I know how much disposable time
we really have, and if we look to ourselves or others to decide how and where
to spend it; odds are good it will be lost to the ages. However, if we allow God to teach us to
number our days, he will instruct on where to put this time and that correct
application will engender a spirit that further calls you to desire for
wisdom. For example, if a farmer is
given just a bag of seeds to sow in order to feed his family, will he not seek
counsel on where the most fertile ground is?
Once finds it he will sow his crop there and the production thereof will
compel him to repeat the process as more seed is given. By and by, that farmer grows in wisdom (and
his family is well feed). Lord, teach us
to number our days. Instead of looking
around and constantly taking inventory on what we lack, help us to better
understand what we have, and help us to better know where to apply it.
