Teach Us to Number Our Days

Psalm 90:12

“What is one million years for you?” a man asks God.

“One million years are equal to one second,” God answers.

“How much is in one million dollars for you?” the man asks.

“One million dollars is one cent for me.”

“God can you give me one of those cents that you have?” the man asks.

“Yes, wait a second and I’ll give you your cent,” God answers.

Time and money. These two words often keep us very busy and worried. Last Sunday I started a series of sermons about stewardship, Oikonomia, the Greek word that means managing your household, managing your life, your priorities.

Imagine that everyday someone gives you $86,400 dollars to spend on that same day. Wow, I mean everyday you will receive this amount. Maybe you can buy a big house? Or a fancy car? How about to start the charity organization you dreamed of? Maybe you can give it to the AMAA? To the Church?

Where did that amount come from? God has given us 86,000 seconds everyday (24 hours, 60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in a minute- total: 86,400). If we sleep 8 hours a day, we will have only 57,600 seconds a day left. These 57,600 seconds are possibilities when we can serve, work, play, invest, live the life that God gave us. We all get one shot to use them. If we do not use them, they are gone. This means every second is a gift given to us from God to be used. Imagine everyday God is giving you 57,600 chances to be useful in life.

King David is clear about this issue, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Let me paraphrase David’s words: “Teach me O Lord to be wise in using the days that are given to me. Just help me, O Lord, to realize that the days are numbered. Let me have a heart of wisdom. Teach me to be wise in managing my money, my time, my family, my priorities.”

What can we learn?

1- Our time is God’s time. If we want to honor God with our time, we need to realize that everything belongs to God, including time, family, money, possessions, everything. Unfortunately, we tend to think we own everything. Of course, we make choices about how to spend the 57,600 seconds everyday. We make choices. We decide to work overtime or not; we decide to spend time to with our families or not; we decide to watch TV or not; we decide to come to church or not. Everyday we make choices. God gave us that freedom. Watch out, God also tells us in His Word that whatever we have is His. King David wrote in Psalm 24, “The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters” (1,2).

God owns everything and God distributes talents and abilities according to His will. Therefore, it is very healthy to think that whatever you have is given from God. It is healthy to know that He is the Creator and you are a creature. Perhaps we know this fact, but we need to be reminded often. I am not trying to put down your efforts in the hard work of achievements. But please do not lose the perspective that your time belongs to God. Time is a treasure.

To realize the value of one year, ask a student who failed the year. To realize the value of a month, ask a mother who gave birth of premature child. To realize the value of an hour, ask a businessman who missed his flight. To realize the value of a millisecond, ask an athlete who ran the 100-meter race.

We will continue in English.