Psalm 90 … Consider Him Who Teaches Us to Number Our Days

Originally posted: 11/15/2020

So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to You a heart of wisdom, (90:12).

The title of Psalm 90 describes this psalm as “a prayer of Moses, the man of God.” That’s quite the distinguished title. Have you ever wondered, if one day your prayer journal was published, how might the publisher characterize you? What an honor, should we ever be marked as the man or woman of God.

It is not surprising Moses is known as the man of God, when we think of the encounters he had with Almighty God: the burning bush; the plagues of Egypt; the Red Sea; manna in the morning and quail in the evening; hidden in the cleft of the rock to behold God’s glory; as well as the continual contending with a stubborn, obstinate, whiny, rebellious people. And while not perfect, as no man is, he was called the man of God, for God talked with him as to a friend.

Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend, (Exodus 33:11).

And Moses knew God as his dwelling place.

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations, (90:1).

The man of God who walked closely with his God, who listened intently, who interceded persistently, who prayed without ceasing was also all too familiar with man’s propensity to go it alone, and the consequences such a decision wrought.

For we have been consumed by Your anger
And by Your wrath we have been dismayed, (90:7).

Do return, O Lord; how long will it be?
And be sorry for Your servants, (90:13).

Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the years we have seen evil, (90:15).

And perhaps asking God to “teach us to number our days,” became an essential part of his prayer life, asking for God’s eternal perspective that wisdom would be birthed and take root in the hearts of God’s people.

Consider Him Who Teaches Us to Number Our Days

As we consider Him Who Teaches Us to Number Our Days, we will learn of how He faithfully equips His children in His wisdom.

• He Teaches Us to Number Our Days that we may grasp His eternal power.
  • Before the mountains were born
    Or You gave birth to the earth and the world,
    Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God, (90:2).

• He Teaches Us to Number Our Days that we would understand life on this earth is transient.
  • You turn man back into dust
    And say, “Return, O children of men,” (90:3).

• He Teaches Us to Number Our Days that we would discern His delineation of time.
  •  For a thousand years in Your sight
    Are like yesterday when it passes by,
    Or as a watch in the night, (90:4).

• He Teaches Us to Number Our Days that we would fathom the gravity of our sin.
  • You have placed our iniquities before You,
    Our secret sins in the light of Your presence.
    ⁹ For all our days have declined in Your fury;
    We have finished our years like a sigh, (90:8-9).

• He Teaches Us to Number Our Days that we would make the best use of our time.
  • As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years,
    Or if due to strength, eighty years,
    Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow;
    For soon it is gone and we fly away, (90:10).

• He Teaches Us to Number Our Days that we would walk in the fear of the Lord and apply our hearts to wisdom.
  • Who understands the power of Your anger
    And Your fury, according to the fear that is due You?
    ¹² So teach us to number our days,
    That we may present to You a heart of wisdom, (90:11-12).

• He Teaches Us to Number Our Days that we would desire the joy of His presence over the pleasures of this world.
  • O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness,
    That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days, (90:14).

• He Teaches Us to Number Our Days that we would perceive His majestic work.
  • Let Your work appear to Your servants
    And Your majesty to their children, (90:16).

• He Teaches Us to Number Our Days that we would experience His favor.
  •  Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us… (90:17).

• He Teaches Us to Number Our Days that our lives would bear fruit.
  • …And confirm for us the work of our hands;
    Yes, confirm the work of our hands, (90:17).

How do we respond to Him Who Teaches Us to Number Our Days?

Think of all that this prayer of Moses entails, and of all we will grasp when we learn to Number Our Days; when we learn to live mindful of our afterlife, and eternity takes center stage; when we get past self, get out of the way to see, hear and think clearly; when we present a heart of wisdom to the Lord that we may experience His favor and bear fruit for His glory.

But as we well know, God’s wisdom is so contrary to the thinking of man.

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men, (1 Corinthians 1:25).

The world says: “Whoever dies with the most toys wins.”

But God says:
How much better it is to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver, (Proverbs 16:16).

The world says: “Live for today because you only go around once.”

But God says:
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you,” (Matthew 6:33).

The world says: “Live for yourself…there’s no one else more worth living for.”

 But God says:
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. ³⁵ For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. ³⁶ For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:34-36).

The world says: “You’re number one.”

But God says:
“I am the Lord, and there is no other;
Besides Me there is no God,” (Isaiah 45:5).

Today, let us listen to God’s wisdom. Let us ask Him to “teach us to number our days,” that His wisdom would be birthed and take root in our heart, that we would never buy into what the world says.

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, ⁷ having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. ⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ, (Colossians 2:6-8).

And as we listen to Him Who Teaches Us to Number Our Days, and as we truly grasp the brevity of our life on earth, let us pray we will present to Him a heart of wisdom as we use our time wisely and for His glory.

So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to You a heart of wisdom, (90:12).

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of your time, because the days are evil, (Ephesians 5:15-16).

• Let us Number Our Days, that we would wisely make the most of our time as we follow Jesus in making disciples.
  • And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20).

• Let us Number Our Days, that we would wisely make the most of our time to love like Jesus and beome known as the people of God.
  • “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another,” (John 13:34-35).

• Let us Number Our Days, that we would wisely make the most of our time for the purpose of prayer.
  • The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer, (1 Peter 4:7).

• Let us Number Our Days, that we would wisely make the most of our time as we live godly and sensibly in anticipation of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, Who is coming again.
  • For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, ¹² instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, ¹³ looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, (Titus 2:11-13).

Oh that we would daily submit to Him Who Teaches Us to Number Our Days, that we would wisely make the most of our time and be ready when He comes!

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus, (Revelation 22:20).

Let’s Grow Together!