Praying to Number My Days Wisely - Because of Jesus!

On Tuesday morning, as Kathy and I were sitting around in our living room, I received a sad call from friend, and fellow member of St. John Lutheran Church, Ron Svedin. Ron shared with me that a faithful and loving man of 60, a man we both knew and respected, had unexpectedly passed away the night before. As we visited and shared some thoughts, I informed Ron that just the previous night I had also been informed that a child of God in her 80’s, a woman full of God’s Spirit, was passing quietly in her home, attended by family and nurses. As we talked, I also related to Ron about a young 4 year-old girl, for whom our churches had been praying, who had died on January 10 from cancer. It is tragic, but this young girl of faith at one time was not expected to make it through August. Her grandfather told me, “She was tough!” Then, as we talked, we also lamented the untimely death of a young man last summer in an automobile accident out of state, a young man full of life and faith.

As we discussed these sad losses, Ron remarked wisely, “That just shows that we need to cherish every day. We don’t know if it will be our last.” In the chair beside me, Kathy commented, “That’s why I try to say ‘I love you’ when you leave, or someone else leaves. I don’t want you or them to have an accident, or a heart attack, and for me to have spoken words of anger rather than words of love.”

So, as I added new names on the section of my prayer list for those who are grieving, the Spirit reminded me of a Bible verse from Psalm 90. I prefer the 1984 NIV version which reads, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12) Life IS precious. How can we live every day so that we do make the most of it, so that we do not waste God’s gifts of life and of time?

Actually, a number of people have recently asked me that question. “How can I know God’s purpose? How can I live my Lord’s plan for my life?” I personally believe that people often make the idea of our life plans too complicated.

First, our Lord does share His plan for our lives. "29 The most important [commandment} is this: . . . 30 ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." If we want to ‘number our days wisely,’ if we want to follow our Lord’s plan for our lives, it really can seem pretty simple. “Love God. Love others.” As I try to live my life those are goals which I have, which I believe all children of God have.

God also gives each of us various and different gifts of the Spirit (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12). We may each find joy and fulfillment in different activities. For example, I find peace and joy in fishing, and golf, and family, and . . . So, is it possible to love and serve my Lord and to love others even, for example, while . . . fishing? I have found that I can love God and love others, even while fishing. (Ask me some time. Or I will share my doctoral thesis.) Fishing is not an activity which I do in place of corporate worship, but in addition to my regular weekly observance of God’s Sabbath. Therefore, loving God and loving others in my daily life IS His purpose for me. Loving God and loving others in my daily life IS how I “number my days wisely,” hopefully in everything I do.

Unfortunately, I may intend wise living which loves the Lord and which loves my neighbor, BUT, I often fail in my good intentions. There are times when I have dishonored God in my thoughts and actions. There are times that I have hurt other children of God with my selfishness and sin. I do not want to sin in this way. But I do fail and, unfortunately, I do sin.

That is why I believe that, along with the prayer of Psalm 90, “Teach us to number our days aright,” we need to also know the words of Jesus, the Good Shepherd who taught, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10b) In John 10 Jesus shares that He is ‘The Door’ into our eternal home with our Heavenly Father. In John 10 Jesus shares “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)

Jesus is the ultimate source of love and life. He loves us as Creator. But He does not give up on us because of our failures and sins. In love, Jesus laid down His life to win forgiveness for the Lord’s straying sheep. In forgiveness, our Lord gives us new chances every day to Love Him and to Love Others. Because Jesus is my Good Shepherd, He gives ‘life to the full.’ I want to serve my Lord and I want to love others the way my Good Shepherd has loved a sinner like me.

In all the deaths which Ron and I discussed, we nevertheless had comfort. Each of these people knew and believed in God’s eternal, saving love for them in Jesus. And, because they knew Jesus, in spite of whatever missteps they took, they did have, and do have, life to the full.

My prayer continues to be, “Teach [me] to number [my] days aright, that [I] may gain a heart of wisdom.” And I know that in Jesus, in His call to a life of love, and in His loving, forgiving sacrifice, we do have “life to the full.”