So teach us to number our days, that we may present to thee a heart of wisdom (Psa. 90:12 NASV). Think about all those things we do in life that seem so important for the moment, and how much of our time we spend doing them. How much time do we have and how many days do we have? How much time within our days do we use toward glorifying God?
Days of light
The word “number” in Psalm 90 not only suggests to count but also to “weigh out.” In other words, how carefully do we measure the time we have been allotted? If all our days are accounted for, what exactly are we doing with this brief life that God, in His mercy and grace, has given us? How are the numbers of our days spent?
The word “days” in this verse is from a root meaning “to be hot,” indicating the warm hours, obviously when the sun is out. Whether literally from sunrise to sunset or simply during daylight hours it is speaking of the time of light. It is interesting that the first thing God created was light. Christ is called the light of the world. Simeon, in Luke 2:25-32, had lived with the knowledge that he would see Christ before he died. When he finally took Jesus in his arms the first thing he said was that he was content to die now that his eyes had seen “the light of revelation to the Gentiles.” His days were numbered until he saw that light. Our days, or time of enlightenment are also numbered until we see Christ, either at his return, or at our resurrection.
A personal inventory
With these thoughts in mind I decided to take a rough inventory of my number of days to help me reassess how I spend my “days of light.” You may find that this is similar to your own, but even if you don’t, perhaps it will inspire you to assess how you spend the time God has given you.
If we live to be “three score and ten” (Psa.90:10) or 70 years, then 70 X 365 days/year = 25,550 days lived. Taking into consideration that until about age 16 our lives are mainly controlled by our parents we are left with 20,075 days to number.
With 20,075 days left for us to number, let us examine how we spend them. Even though we realize that our whole life should reflect and give glory to God, we must also remember that working and making a living are necessary evils. While at school or work, it is possible for us to have other things on our minds for approximately 8 hours of every day. If we go to school or work for approximately 5 days per week for 50 weeks each year retiring at age 65 that would amount to 4,250 days, leaving 15,825 days left for us to number.
Let us assume during our working years we sleep an average 8 hours and eat for about 2 hours every day. To this let’s add 2 hours driving and 2 hours for household chores, tending to children and shopping. This adds up to 14 hours per day used for necessary activities. Applying these 14 hours per day for 7 days per week to our 55 responsible years leaves us 4,147 days to number.
Let us remember that bodily exercise, although profiting a little, does profit some. If you try to stay physically fit and healthy you may be involved in some form of recreation three times a week for one hour a day. This, in my opinion, would probably be a bare minimum for most health-conscious folk. So 3 hours per week for 52 weeks for 55 years leaves 3,789 days to number.
Optional things
As pointed out by a friend, recent surveys have found that people spend a minimum of approximately 20 hours per week on entertainment of some kind. If we calculate 20 hours per week x 52 weeks per year = 1,040 hours per year for 55 years would be 2,383 days, leaving 1,406 days to glorify God. Out of 55 responsible years we end up with only 3.85 years that most of us devote to the work of the Lord. Surely this is not a very long time. It you divide 3.85 years into 55 responsible years, you come just short of 7% of our lives that we have left to try to spend in God’s service.
What is the bottom line? It is a very good thing that God looks on the heart, that He sees and knows all, and can be with us at all times. Every part of every day can be spent with Him. If we do our work as unto the Lord, we will be spending time with Him. If we truly have allowed the teachings of Christ to touch our hearts and change our lives then no hours spent at work or other activities will be wasted time. Every part of our lives will be useful to Him. We know without a doubt that the final sum is not how much we worked, slept, ate, exercised or cleaned up. What God is interested in is the spirit in which all these things were done.
Hearts for God
When our days are finished being numbered, we have to present our hearts to God. Please notice that we don’t have to present to the Lord our work, or a clean house, or a bag of groceries, just our hearts. Our hearts are something we carry with us all the time and the only thing God is really interested in. All of us are in need of His grace. God really cares whether our hearts have been affected by His grace enough to reflect that fact in every-day life. When our lives are in harmony with His grace and we know the perfect peace which passes all understanding, then we can truly understand David’s words in Psalm 23:4:
“Surely goodness and loving-kindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One