Time is Precious

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

Yesterday, I listened to a message about getting closer to God in 2011. The minister that preached has a unique way of bringing forth the word. He says that when he reads the bible, he visualizes what he reads and he presents it as a story. Needless to say his message was very inspiring and at the end of his message 99% of the church went up for prayer. I want to try to tie in that message with today’s inspiration.

The above verse has a significant meaning. It is telling us that we should seek God’s guidance in how we should spend our time because like all things must come to an end, so time must come to an end. In all that we do, we must take time out for God. Quality time to spend seeking Him and talking with Him and listening to Him; after all this is how we get closer to Him.

The preacher brought an illustration of how Barthemaus wanted to hear Jesus, the woman with the issue of blood wanted to touch Jesus, Zaccheus wanted to take Jesus home, John wanted to be close to Jesus at all times, and Paul wanted to be so close to Jesus that they would be fused together and it would no longer be Paul but Jesus in Paul. I don’t know about you but I want to be so close to Jesus that it is no longer I but Christ in me. This illustration is relevant to verse 12 of Psalm 90 because the more time we spend with Jesus, the more Christlike we become.

It is believed that Psalm 90 was written by Moses during the 40 years that the children of Israel wandered in the desert. The Israelites wandered in the desert those 40 years because of their unbelief and their murmuring against God. During these 40 years the older generation died off. The children of Israel could not enter the Promised Land until all the people of older generation had died because God said they would not enter because of their unbelief. We cannot compare what God is doing in our lives with the past or how our lives used to be. This will cause you to regress and not progress. It also shows lack of faith in God when we look back and wish that our lives were the way they used to be.

I will be the first to tell you that being a Christian is not easy but compared to the life I used to live I wouldn’t change it or trade it for anything in the world. Yes I go through trials and yes there is suffering but there is also an unspeakable joy that outweighs all the trials and the suffering. Besides that trials prune our characters and brings out those things in us that God wants to use to bless us and others. Time plays a major part during trials and times of suffering. You are probably asking how and why. I will tell you. When we are faced with hardships, anxieties, problems that seem to have no solutions, it is then we should seek God’s guidance and maintain that closeness with Him because He will give us the strength to make it through that difficult time. During the times of rest we should maintain that intimacy with God and during times of blessings and abundance that intimacy should be more intense. This prepares us and strengthens our faith when we go through trials.

Moses asked God to help us to number our days – in other words, help us to be mindful that tomorrow is not promised and we should not waste precious time on things that don’t matter. In eternity, time is not a factor. There is no time in heaven. In this same Psalm, Moses says that to God a thousand years is like a day but here on earth man is bound to time. Time is of the essence because soon our Redeemer will return for His bride and we must be ready! If we don’t spend time with God and are satisfied with just hearing Him the first time He spoke to us then how will we ever know who He truly is? If we are simply satisfied with His touch when we go to church, how will we be sustained on the days when we don’t go to church? If we take Him home but don’t talk to Him, how will we experience a real relationship with Him? Like John, we must walk and talk with Him and be close to Him at all times. Like Paul, we must desire and seek an intimacy with Him that fuses us to Him.

The second part of the verse says – that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Wisdom comes from God. The New Century Version reads this verse as such: “Teach us how short our lives really are so that we may be wise.” The second part of the verse gives the reason why we want God to show us how short our lives are so that we can use our time wisely. So that we will value the time that we have on earth and use it to glorify Him. So that we will live our lives seeking to be so close to Him that others will see Him in us. So that we will not waste time seeking after material things that perish but the spiritual things that last forever. Praise God!

I want to draw closer to God in this New Year. I don’t want to waste anymore time worrying about what will be or what could be. I want to seek God while He can be found and be so close to Him that Christ is revealed in me. How close do you want to be to God? Are you satisfied with just hearing Him? Do you prefer His touch? Do want Him in your house or would you rather walk and talk with Him? Better yet would you be more satisfied if you were so close to Him that you could enjoy all of the above and be one with Him? Reflect on these questions and I pray that this year be a year of intimacy with the Lord for you. Don’t waste anymore time! Time is wasting and God is calling His people to draw near.

God bless you.