Thinking about Psalm 90:12 today and it’s prayer to God to, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
Why is it so hard for the human heart to acknowledge our own mortality and eternal fate? Because what I’ve learned is, that’s true, even in the situation like stage four cancer!!
You would think such a diagnosis would completely overturn all of a Christian’s time wasting habits and chasing after things that will burn up like straw on judgment day.
But I’ll tell you the dirty secret, at least for me—even a dire situation like that hasn’t automatically made me stop frittering away hours in pointless activity that does not serve the kingdom.
My willful stubborn heart will still often choose denial or distraction rather than the harder, richer activities of scripture reading, pouring into my family, etc. And I just think, man, Lord, if getting news like that didn’t force me to transform my habits, what will?
And then it hit me. YOU will. We gain the heart of wisdom on how we spend our life span through your instruction, not through our determination.
I don’t start wisely numbering my days just because I’ve learned there might be fewer of them. I can’t do it on my own. I can only do it through the patient instruction of the Holy Spirit.