Behold, I make all things new!

Wednesday, December 1 Psalm 90

Counting Our Days

This is the only Psalm directly attributed to Moses and is most likely the oldest psalm of all. Psalm 90 gives us the idea that “God’s time” is not the same as “our time.” 1000 years is nothing in God’s time, but it is a long time for us. Even if we count in dog years! Our time on earth is short. What do we do with that information?

Verse 12 suggests one idea: “So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” In this season of the year, we find ourselves counting days –  the number of shopping days before Christmas, the number of school days before Christmas vacation, the number of days until payday.

Psalm 90 invites us to count our days. Perhaps turning that phrase around might make more sense for us. What would it mean for us to make every day of our lives count? What makes something “count” in the long run?

Think about your own life. It isn’t a major accomplishment that makes our lives count. Rather, it’s the little pieces of daily faithfulness that make the most difference. The same is true when loved ones die. We tend to remember the little things, not necessarily their major accomplishments. A comment here. A conversation there. A new idea. Simply showing up.

In the end, “counting our days” and “making our days count” come together when we focus, not on the past that we can’t change or the future that lies only in God’s hands, but on the present. On today. On now. On the next right thing. The next right step. On the God who holds our hands along the way. Maybe this is the only wisdom we need. Maybe this is why today – within the broader gift of God that we call “life” – is called the “present.”

God, we come to you this moment to ask for freedom from the past that we cannot change, for hope in the future that we cannot see and for love to live this moment well. Amen.

Rev, Bill Ottum – River of Life, Chugiak

Psalm 90

¹LORD, you have been our dwelling place
 in all generations.
 ²Before the mountains were brought forth,
 or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
 from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
 ³You turn us back to dust,
 and say, "Turn back, you mortals."
 ⁴For a thousand years in your sight
 are like yesterday when it is past,
 or like a watch in the night.
 ⁵You sweep them away; they are like a dream,
 like grass that is renewed in the morning;
 ⁶in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
 in the evening it fades and withers.
 ⁷For we are consumed by your anger;
 by your wrath we are overwhelmed.
 ⁸You have set our iniquities before you,
 our secret sins in the light of your countenance.
 ⁹For all our days pass away under your wrath;
 our years come to an end like a sigh.
 ¹⁰The days of our life are seventy years,
 or perhaps eighty, if we are strong;
 even then their span is only toil and trouble;
 they are soon gone, and we fly away.
 ¹¹Who considers the power of your anger?
 Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.
 ¹²So teach us to count our days
 that we may gain a wise heart.
 ¹³Turn, O LORD! How long?
 Have compassion on your servants!
 ¹⁴Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
 so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
 ¹⁵Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us,
 and as many years as we have seen evil.
 ¹⁶Let your work be manifest to your servants,
 and your glorious power to their children.
 ¹⁷Let the favor of the LORD our God be upon us,
 and prosper for us the work of our hands —
 O prosper the work of our hands!