Key Verse: Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90 is actually written by Moses. Most scholars concur that this psalm is more of a prayer than a song. In this prayer Moses acknowledges the eternality of God while also acknowledging the frailty of man. When reading this psalm we are forced to come to grips with the fact that all of us, no matter of age or health will one day feel the icy grip of death. We are reminded that our life is like that of the grass of the field. We flourish for a short time and then we die. However In V.19 Moses says something that is truly life changing. It seems while Moses was pondering the reality of death and how short life he was inspired to number his days. What does he mean by numbering our days? Just a few verses prior Moses wrote that a man’s life is 70 years, 80 if they are strong and blessed. It seems that Moses is encouraging us to remember our age with the purpose of realizing how much time we have left according to the average life span. The average life span for a person in America is 78 years. Moses is recommending that we subtract our current age from the average life span. For example, I am 27 years old, this means if i live the average life of an American I have 51 years of life left. Why should we do this? According to Moses we should do this so we can gain a heart of wisdom. When someone thinks about their death and how much time they have left to live it helps motivate them to live a certain type of life. As Christians when we think about our impending death it should inspire us to live like Christ. We should be inspired to love others, live holy, and praise God for our salvation and victory over death that we have in Christ! Take a few minutes today to number your days, and surrender the days you have left to living a life that honors Jesus!
