Numbering Our Days

Posted by LisaV | 0 comments

28,416.45
…
What’s the significance of this number? The average life expectancy in the United States is 77.8 years, or 28,416.45 days. At my age, over half my days have already been spent.

My husband taught a Sunday School lesson on numbering our days with Psalm 90:9-12 as the key text:

For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

The verses are insightful, as every person has a history, or a tale, to tell. To number our days, we need to recognize the brevity of life. Unless Christ returns first, we will die. This thought confronted me suddenly last month, when my uncle passed away unexpectedly. We ought to take careful inventory of our lives and live with eternity’s values in the forefront of our minds.

To apply our heart unto wisdom, we need to obtain godly wisdom, know the purpose of our life, glorify God, have an intimate relationship with Christ, do God’s will, focus on eternal values, and be solidly firm in our faith, extremely devoted to God, and extraordinarily excellent in the Lord’s work.

Inspired by Linda Ellis’ The Dash Poem, which has been set to music (see this link: http://www.thedashmovie.com/linda/), my husband penned his own poem on this topic.

The Dash of Your Life

In between the date of your birth and the date of your death, there’s a dash.
At the end of your days and memories of your life rehashed,
If your dash was spent full of eternity’s values while on this sod,
Then your life would have brought glory to God.
If your dash was spent on vanities,
Then your life was filled with lost heavenly opportunities.

You see, it matters not how big the stash of your cash,
It is all about the impact of how you lived your dash.
Man may be impressed with titles and possessions,
But many will enter heaven’s gates because of your godly impressions.

How will you live your dash?

Lisa Van Dong has been teaching her two sons since 2004 and attempts to incorporate study, work, service, and play into their homeschooling days. She takes an eclectic approach to homeschooling and enjoys reading, writing, editing, and essential oils. Lisa blogs publicly at Pockets of Time and privately at Scooter and B.