Your days are numbered

By Mark Mast
RR Ministerial

“Lord, teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
Did you ever stop to consider that a single 24 hour day consists of 86,400 seconds? When I first discovered this, I couldn’t believe it! I quickly decided to redo my math in case I had made a mistake! I discovered immediately, however, that it was true! I have 86,400 seconds at my disposal every single day of my life! This means, I have 604,800 seconds in a week and 31,449,600 seconds in a year! Think of it!!
That being said, I often ask myself, “Mark, what are you doing with this amazing investment of TIME into your TIME ACCOUNT? Are you making your life count for something? Are you making a difference in this world? Are you doing anything that matters for eternity? Do you care?
Even when I don’t care, God does. He tells me in His word, “Be very careful, then, how you live-- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (Ephesians 5:15-17).
If I am to “understand what the Lord’s will is” I must recognize that God has a plan. He has a plan for ME. He has a plan for YOU.
First and foremost, God’s will for my life is that I repent of my sin and trust in Jesus Christ for my salvation. II Peter 3:9 says, “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” The first plan that God has for your life is that you have a personal relationship with Him. That became reality for me on February 10, 1981 when I trusted in Jesus Christ for my salvation. Have you done the same?
Secondly, God’s will is that I be sanctified... set apart... holy. 1Thessalonians 4:3,4 says, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable.”
This is a tall order, but one that flows naturally from a heart that is in love with the Lord. John 14:15 is where Jesus’ expressed, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” This is not an “I got to or else” kind of obedience, but obedience that flows from an intense desire to demonstrate love for the wondrous salvation that is ours through the cross upon which Jesus died and the blood that He shed for our sins.
Thirdly, “it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men” (1Peter 2:15). There is something mind-boggling about a person who chooses to do good, not because he HAS to, but because the love of Christ compels and constrains him. See II Corinthians 5:24. This differentiates from the person who does good works in order to earn favor with God, which is humanly impossible by the way. However, when good deeds flow because Jesus Christ abides in us, it is something that confounds even the greatest skeptic. In John 15:5 Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Finally, it is God’s will that we “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (I Thessalonians 5:18). A grateful heart is one that is passionate about expressing gratitude and thankfulness in every situation. At this stage of following God’s will, I’m not just grateful for the “good” things that life has to offer, but grateful “in all circumstances”... good and bad.
Impossible you say? Well try taking the steps I have enumerated and see if this doesn’t become reality for you! Learn to live by God’s will for you life on a daily basis. What a ride!!
Going back to your 86,400 seconds in any given day, what if I told you that none of your unused seconds get credited to your time account at the end of the day... every second that goes unused simply disappears. If you knew this were true, I would guess that you would try much harder to use your precious seconds to the fullest!
I recently came across this description of the value of time:
To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.
To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.
To realize the value of ONE-SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.
Treasure every moment that you have! Psalm 39:4 “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.”
Colossians 3:17 says, “...whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
May this be our prayer.
Remember, TIME waits for no one.
“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present!”