Tracking Time

“So, teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12, NKJV.

Gone are the “good old days,” when physical calendars were our only resource for keeping track of daily activities. One often had their calendar hanging by a magnet on the refrigerator (ah yes, magnet-ready refrigerator doors are “good old days” gone too!). In those days, each family member was expected to enter upcoming commitments for all to see, so that schedules might run smoothly. Large XX’s appeared in the blocks crossing off past days, no longer applicable except to document historical events. (Promise not to tell anyone, but I still keep a physical calendar because I am such a visual person).

According to the introduction of Psalm 90, we are told Moses is the author. We have no idea how Moses or the people of his generation kept track of time and events, but we do know he understood the importance of both. “Teach us to number our days…” is one way of saying, remember your past, “that we may gain a heart of wisdom” and learn from it. After spending forty years in the desert in search of the “Promised Land,” Moses, who was God’s appointed leader of the Israelites experienced the good, bad, and ugly characteristics of humanity, including those of himself. A journey that should have taken only a matter of days to complete turned into a generation of self-identifying whiners, and God-identifying “stiff-necked people” (Exodus 32:9).

Through the “magic” of technology, today we have a glimpse into the generation in which we now live. People like posting everything for all to see…what they eat, do, and think in real time. Life, for such people, is often unfiltered and raw. Friend, every new day offers unexplored opportunities for self-identification and God-identification through the characteristics of our human expression. As we number our days and learn from them, I pray, God if You determine our actions be made visible for all the world to see, Lord, let Your life lessons mold and make us into the image of Your Son, Jesus. Give us the kind of wisdom that lets the world see more of Jesus in what we say, do, and think, and less of ourselves. Amen.