Encouragement

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

Whether you are male or female, young or old, rich or poor, black, brown or white, we all have something in common. Our days are numbered. Even if we take good care of our bodies, eating healthy and exercising, and avoiding those things detrimental to our health, we will all die someday. Sobering thought, isn’t it?

None of us wants to dwell on when our last day will come because we really don’t know. For those of us who have thought about it and long to be with our Savior, we still don’t know when the last chapter will end.

Recently, I discovered a website about intentional living. The author offers a calculator at his site to determine how many days you have already lived and to forecast how many you have left based on a 70-year life span. Although the average lifespan for humans has continued to increase because of medical breakthroughs and other lifestyle improvements, only God knows the number of our days. Entering my birth date into the calculator, I discovered, as of this writing, that I have lived 21,050 days, nine hours and 19 minutes. However, as I continue writing, the hour and minutes will change. I am growing older as I write these words.

How many of us have said, “If I had only known then what I know now?” I certainly have. However, we cannot live with regret. Regret doesn’t change the past but living intentionally can lead to a joy-filled life based on God’s plan for us.

In Proverbs 2:1-6, King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived said, “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding—indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

When my sons were younger, I, like most parents, thought they were the smartest ones on the block. Now that I have grandchildren, I think they are even smarter. However, being smart and being wise are two different entities. As a grandmother, I am wiser than when I raised my children. I have a multitude of experiences, both good and bad, on which to draw. I have seen quotes to the contrary about wisdom and aging but King Solomon recognized his wisdom as a gift from God. In this sense, wisdom springs from a relationship with God. When we allow God access to our minds and our thoughts, living an intentional life means we are using each minute wisely. When we choose God’s principles for life, we can say we have truly lived.

How will you live your days? Will it be in wisdom and joy?

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