Number Our Days

My dear wife and I both celebrated yet another birthday this summer. With the passing of time one is supposed to gain wisdom and maturity. Some question whether or not that is truly the case, often times as it applies to me. After all, I still run around and play with little children. At the end of our Vacation Bible School this year, to rejoice over the offerings we raised for mission work in Haiti , I allowed them to cover me with chocolate syrup, whipped cream, sprinkles, nuts and even a few cherries! Wisdom and maturity? Maybe not. But the children associated giving offerings to help others with having fun. I think it was worth it.

 With each passing year, I am grateful for God’s goodness and kindness to me here on earth. I am also reminded of my own mortality. Aches and pains, sleepless nights and a growing supply of pharmaceuticals in my house remind me that I am mortal, that I suffer in my body the consequences of sin: my own sin and the cumulative effect of all sin on God’s creation.

 I’ve often commented that the men in my family don’t seem to live to retirement age, and that makes me wonder whether or not I will. I am trying to take care of this earthly dwelling that God has given me, but you never know how much time you have in this world. A recent Gospel Reading in our worship here at Grace was about the “Rich Fool” who tried to store up earthly wealth only to discover his time on earth was over (Luke 12:13-21). Jesus was making the point that “a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions,” but it is also a clear warning that we don’t know when the number of our days here on earth will be over.

Birthdays are reminders of the passage of time. Perhaps they cause you to marvel at the fact that you’ve made it another year. For me, my birthday is also a reminder of a very special birth that I try to celebrate every day. I know we’ve set aside a day in late December to celebrate it, but it deserves more attention in our lives than that. God coming in flesh to remedy the problem of sin for all people should be celebrated every day. Remembering that Jesus took my place in punishment and rose from the dead in victory helps me to keep things in their proper perspective. Whether I live here on earth one more year or fifty more, His birth, life, death and resurrection is what allows me to live with confidence. I’ve been washed in the blood of the Lamb, I am forgiven, I have the certainty of life everlasting, and that life has already started for me. That’s some wisdom we all need in our lives.

 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12 (NIV)