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

When we were born, we were given a name and assigned a number. Our last name identifies where were from or the origin of our birth while our first name identifies where we are going, or our future. A good name is worth more than silver and gold. Our names reflect our character. Expectations are placed upon us as a result of being named or branded. We are also classified by number. As a citizen, we are numbered by the Social Security Administration. You are not merely John or Jane Doe, but you have both a name and a number. 

God knows us by name and has also given each one of us a number. Each name is different and each number is as well. The request of the Psalmist was, “Lord, teach us….” The instructions requested apply to both name and number. We may say, “Lord teach us to know who we really are,” so that we would not live a presumptuous life. He knows our name and what ought to have been the fullest expression of our name. Our parents may have done the best they could, but there are some things about us that only God can teach us. Then, “Lord, instruct us to number our days.” We need to be made aware that the time allotted us is limited. 

None can tell the number of their days. Without the knowledge that time is limited, their hopes and dreams may rot on the scrapheap of possibility and potential because time is too short, and life is not long enough to finish what was intended because time ran out before they could accomplish all the things abandoned by death. 

The Psalmist was aware of the instructions that could only come from God alone. “Teach us to number our days.” The request was, “Lord, teach us to make every day count in doing what ought to be done. Time is too precious to waste and eternity is too long to reflect with regrets over wasted time. This day is a gift from God. What we do with it matters to Him. When we treasure both name and number, we will gain a heart of wisdom. 

“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1). 

The pronouncement of God is to arise above the circumstances and above all that was previously seen. All things are now viewed in the light that is in you rather than the darkness that is around you! The light of His countenance has risen upon you. You can now see in the light what you missed while you stumbled around in the dark. He has become your life and light. Now your light has illumined your life and now can serve as light to the world. They walk in darkness just as you once walked, but now what has been revealed to you is being revealed through you. Your life is an invitation, not just your words but everything about you beckons the blind to see. Even nations shall come to your light. 

The “Sonshine” of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ has risen upon you! As the moon reflects the light of the sun and has no light in itself, your life reflects the light of the Son of God. Do not allow anything to eclipse the light that is shining in your direction. The temptations that come your way are presented in order to shroud the view of your Beloved. These distractions can in no way provide for you what is being developed within you. The most earnest desire of Jesus Christ is to see the reflection of Himself in you. He has come upon all who have received Him. Now it is His passion to so shine thus erasing every shadow from your life. What more can be desired than this? This is the greatest of all treasures. All that He is taking hold of and becoming all that you are. Let the light of His glory rise and shine upon and in you. 

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). 

Is Church the place that we attend or a people in the process of being made? Many place more emphasis on place than on purpose. It is not a matter of getting what we consider to be our needs met. To be honest, we do not really know precisely what our needs are. There are symptoms, but our needs go much deeper. God knows. He knows our frame or the substance on which all that we have become was constructed upon. The foundation of our soul; mind, will, and emotion, is taken into account when the Word of God is spoken under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We are challenged at the very core of our being in order to discover His intentions for our lives. We are not in place to merely receive affirmations. They will only strengthen the soul in its rebellious state against the knowledge of God. He is our Father. He rebukes us, challenges us, and affirms us. Oftentimes, Church becomes a very uncomfortable place. We are called to reckon with God in relation to the sins that so easily beset us in order for His character to be formed in us. We are not human beings, but rather human becoming’s. We are a work in progress. Whatever we are becoming, all that we expose ourselves to contributes to the formation of our lives. Every moment counts. Time is too valuable to be wasted. 

Many have opted out of attending Church altogether. Their expectations were not met, or a disappointment was so devastating that they distanced themselves from the Church. Maybe unrealistic expectations have driven you away. It could have been a test of character warranting a different response from you. The Church does not consist of perfect people, but rather committed people. The commitment will be tested but the Word of God will bring understanding in His time. Patience is the virtue which must be established with our hearts. God is beckoning His people to come home and be established. Attend church this week in order to worship God. Allow Him to reveal Himself to you and do not depend on your own understanding. The definition that I use for worship is “worship is our active response to God’s revelation of Himself whereby we declare His worth.” It is not about us. If worship is to be real it must be about Him! Out of our worship He will be glorified and His glory will always be for our good. You may not see it now, but when patience is perfected we are able to see further. We can then see aspects of the Kingdom of God unknown to us before His work in us began! 

“ For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1Corinthians 2:2). 

Memory is a gift from God. When appropriately used, it can serve as a blessing. But when the lingering effects of memory close our minds to God, it is then a curse. During times of stillness the mind can relive experiences of the past. Our memories capture those moments and freeze-frame them into the catalogue of our minds. Things we have learned lay the foundation for further knowledge. Paul realized this and made a decision. He said, “for I determined…” The word “determined” in the Greek language is “krino” which means, “to separate.” Paul was in essence saying, “I separate the knowledge of the past from the knowledge of Jesus Christ.” God was determined to separate light from darkness. It is not that Paul was ignorant of other things. He knew many things, but now possessed the ability to separate what he knew from who he is in the process of knowing. To know Jesus Christ is a full time job that ought to occupy our undivided attention. All other information must pass through the filter of the revelation of Jesus in order for it to translate into wisdom. Wisdom is knowledge effectively and skillfully applied to life. What should this mean to us? It is saying that since the life of Jesus is to become life to us, we cannot afford to allow competing information to separate us from what we are convinced of. The discernment of the Christian is the ability to see through the lens of Christ what He sees. Only then can His judgments become our own. The wisdom that comes from beneath is sensual and self- seeking. The wisdom that comes from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy (James 3:17-18). It will not come through mere wishful thinking. It is yours only when you are determined to know nothing other than Jesus Christ, and to know Him as crucified for us as well as the rest of the world. 

“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You” 

(Job 42:5). 

When God is abstract, one must use his imagination in drawing a composite of Him. But when one is close enough to see Him, all they have to do is report to others what has been made known to them. What we hear of Him ought to whet the appetite of the hearer to be drawn closer by the Holy Spirit. When we are drawn close enough to see His features we see in Him what we so desperately need. Then it does not take any exaggerated language or overly dramatic expressions to convey to the heart of others the knowledge that has now become a part of us. It is as easy as breathing because we are reporting and not selling. He does the work in our hearts and imparts to us wisdom that is beyond our years. It is the personal experience that transforms us from seekers to saints. As eyewitnesses of His glory, we are changed. The change within us is sufficient to invoke the change in others. Once we have seen Him through the eyes of the Spirit, we have a story to tell and a message to deliver. He becomes greater than what we first thought of Him and we become diminished in size in our own eyes.