The Countdown

“Teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of Wisdom.”

Psalm 90:12

Do you remember as a child, counting down the days until something really special
was going to happen? A birthday, or Christmas, or leaving for some exciting
destination on a trip? You would check the boxes of the calendar, watching that
“star” box getting closer and closer. Excitement grew. The checklist of what had to
happen before the “GO” day was being ticked off and re-counted.

Others of you may think more about checking off the calendar days before something
you dread is going to take place. Completely different emotions begin growing as the
“D” Day (Dread Day) nears.

In either scenario, it is probable that your activities include preparations necessary
before that final day arrives, either good or bad. . . exciting or dreadful.

In our world, it’s easy to lose track of any “countdown” of days before an event is taking
place. Human nature typically thinks of the here-and-now far more than the actions
required in the days leading into the future. It’s natural. An ancient psalm-writer talked
about it. He offered a tool that, when used, would result in an internal treasure in our
very heart: Wisdom. The tool is simple enough that a child could use it: Number each
day. One day at a time.

Human nature moves through a lifetime one day at a time. But without a moment of
intentionality each day, Time becomes a blur. We find ourselves looking back, wishing
we’d made different choices . . . different decisions . . . We imagine different outcomes
“if only I’d . . .”

God has numbered our days. But we don’t know that number. We could number the
days we’ve already lived. That alone is sobering, because we wonder what we did with
all of those days. We regret making unwise choices with many of those days.

Each day counts. If you’re reading this, your days are not finished. It’s not too late to
make adjustments to how your coming days can be used in better ways than in the
past. Wisdom can become part of who you are . . . how you think . . . and how you use
your days ahead. The impact of your life in this world can be a taste of Wisdom that is
is desperately needed.