Perry Martins
Topic: How Old are You? [Tuesday 23, February 2016]
Memorise: So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. – Psalms 90:12
Read: Psalms 90:1-12 (KJV)
1 A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
3 Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.
4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
5 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
7 For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.
8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Bible in One Year: Luke 17:11-19:27, Job 27:13-28:6
MESSAGE:
The theme of Psalms 90 focuses on making the most of the short lifespan that we have as mortal human beings. The passage speaks of death as ‘returning to dust’, and discusses the total lifespan of man as being transitory, like an ordinary grass of the field. It also describes what humans proudly refer to as ‘glorious years’ as ‘a short lifespan spent in serious labour and great sorrow’. Therefore, Psalms 90discusses the concept of human life with such an unpleasant and derogatory language that it calls to mind the need to find a way of making the best out of life. The situation is made worse by the complimentary witness of other Bible passages such as Ecclesiastes 1:2:
“Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.”
Job 14:1-2 that says:
“1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. 2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.”
Furthermore, the experiences of life tallies with the Word of God in the most perfect sense, as revealed in the biblical testimonies of people such as Moses, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Esther, Ruth, David, Solomon, Elijah, John the Baptist, and the Apostles. The Stories of the life of these people of God are full of hard labour, uncertainty, disappointment, betrayal, persecution, failure, and death. Though there people were mostly prophets and anointed kings, yet their stories show that they ended well only by divine intervention. Bible scholars generally identified Moses as the author of Psalm 90. The counsel of this great prophet who succeeded in life despite having his own fair of troubles and tribulations should therefore be taken seriously. Psalms 90:12 says:
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
True wisdom comes from God alone and it is quite different from worldly wisdom that is based on human cleverness, insight, and intuition without Gods revelation which brings little profit. This passage speaks of the ability to make the most of our time in this world, despite the brevity of life. To do this requires a new understanding of the meaning of life. To number our days is to value the time we have by using it for eternal purposes. Focusing on eternity which then produces a heart of wisdom, enables a child of God to live in line with the Word of God.
Godly wisdom is made available by digging deep into the Word of God. It is received through total submission to the will of God, imparted to Christians by Gods Holy Spirit, and graciously given in response to the fervent prayers of the saints of God. As you begin to dig deeper into the Word of God in total submission to His will in prayers, He will pour down His heavenly wisdom upon your life in Jesus’ name.
Prayer Point: Father, please fill me with the wisdom to excel in life and ministry in Jesus’ name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
