By Lamont H. Fuchs, Ed.D.
(excerpt from Preacher Spurs, Christian Faith Publishing, Meadville, PA, 2022)
Psalms 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days, That we may get us a heart of wisdom.”
Did you know that praying for wisdom is within God’s will? It is always important to pray in the same direction God wills. Why? Because praying against God’s will is wasting your breath, that’s if you pray aloud. God wants us to walk with wisdom, and He wants to give us understanding. His Word is full of wisdom, and the more we read it and heed it, the more we become wise. Job 28:28 says, “And he said to man, And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.”
But what does it mean to number our days? The words used have much more context than what we read in English in Hebrew. For example, the word “manah” in Hebrew means more than “number” in English. Translated in context means to appoint or prepare. The story of Jonah used the same word when God prepared those things that became such a problem for Jonah to teach him the lesson God wanted him to learn (Cahn, 2021). He does the same with us. Do you truly think that one morning when you had so many plans for your day that the flat tire you had was a fluke? It changed your plans; it made you zig when you were in the middle of your zag. I believe there is a reason for those unplanned zigs, and now after years of experience, I can see those divine changes when I had no control, as acts of God to show me something I might not have experienced without His intervention.
We know we have a certain number of days in our lives – they are already designated by God. So, what can we do to prepare or appoint our days? The pat answer is to read God’s Word and pray daily for Him to show you His way to your day. It is precisely what Psalms 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path.” You can’t see Light if you don’t read it.
That is a question of the ages. Many philosophers and theologians have discussed this question, and the answer is simple. We make it complex. How does one prepare for days that are yet to come?
God brings good things to those who believe. Now and in the future. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose.”
You say, the future? Yes, your eternal destiny. We all have one. Death is only the beginning, is a famous movie quote from The Mummy (10 Best Quotes From The Mummy, 2001). The intent of the quote was designed to be scary. It is if you think about it. The truth is our eternal future without Christ is frightening. The future He has for those who believe in Him is beyond our wildest imagination. You just have to love the song; I Can Only Imagine by Bart Millard (Turner, 2020). I’m not sure, but I think Bart may have been thinking about 1 Corinthians 2:9 where the Bible says, “But as it is written, Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, And which entered not into the heart of man, Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him.” To paraphrase that would be to say, “You haven’t got a clue what good things God has for those who believe in Him.” He wants a life for us that glorifies Him and blesses us. We only need to seek His face, trust, and obey His word. Have faith to know God will do the rest unto your eternal rest.
I’m sure Bart wants to hear the same thing as you, and I want to hear from God as it says in Matthew 25:23, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Turner, 2020).
Are you prepared for your future?
