Number Our Days
You can be seated.
Share with you a couple of quotes as we start to think about a topic for today. I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise. They make as they go by.
My favorite time management tools is a sudden terrifying Rush of adrenaline. And that one guy says, I'm not procrastinating. I'm just giving some time for the deadline to mature and we can find all kinds of excuses about the not bandaging our time, effectively and realistically from a story and the story that I like, so way I came on and said they were. So I said okay. And if you want to hear one of the most boring lame stories, you've ever heard in your life. Look me up afterwards because it is terrible, didn't work well at all.
Don't talk to people, are surveyed for biggest problems in their lives. It's Not Unusual for fatigue and time pressure to be at the head of the list time. Pressure is really a significant stressor and pressure in our lives. I would ask, does it help us in? I think it does, I think a lot of times, we, we know what to do. We have even trained ourselves, what to do? But under time, pressure and extreme pressure, we have attempted to make different choices than what we'd like to mad. We may see things differently, maybe spawn, two different ways. We may grab an easy choice. They may try to find some way to bring this to an end. And so, always Things become huge complications that frequently can keep us from being. The kind of people that would like to be. I'd like to begin today in Numbers chapter 20,
This is so. Children of Israel in the desert near the end of the time that they've been traveling together and on this occasion there at meribah and God is going to bring water from the Rock. And this is the problem. This is a time when Moses says it does too much and whines up being punished for his reaction. Sometimes we get used to this story because it appears several different times, but just for a minute, try to think what it would be like to be traveling in the desert and not have water. Me, that's a pretty painted kind of situation. Now, you see the water levels on the glow, you can see the water running out and as they mentioned here, they've got Families. How in the world are going to handle this situation? It's so once again, the children is real are faithless. Why did you bring us out here? Why couldn't we died? Why couldn't we have died early? Like some of the other ones, why are we having to experience this? And, of course, God and Moses and Aaron, go and appear before God and God gives them instructions.
Beginning University take the staff and you and your brother are and gather the assembly together speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You have water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock and drink. So Moses took the staff from the Lord's Prayers presence just as he commanded him he and Aaron gathered assembly together. Moses said to them. Listen you rebels must we bring you water out of this rock did Moses. Raise his arm and struck the rock twice and his staff water gushed out and the community and the livestock drank. And then God explained as he and Aaron, that neither of them will be able to go into the land of promise. They're not going to be a part of that particular activity and Myra C Moses there baby. I'm putting too much interpretation on it too much, emotion on it but I I see him frustrated. I see that in a, in a better day, a better time, a better moment. He might have made a different choice but instead he takes credit and he actually hits the rock instead of speaking to the rock. That is significant because, you know, he went today in that area, there are water sources that you can find by knocking out chunks of rock, and their experienced guides to know how to do that, and sometimes demonstrate that by bringing water 4th. So Moses's account, falling into a trap here. And it's a serious trap. He whines up losing a part of what I'm sure he held sacred but he writes about this. If you go over to Psalms chapter 90, this is the song that opened with is a beginning of the welcome to. I'm I read that introduction and most mostly. We think that David is the author of the Psalms, but this one is very clear. And it makes it clear to us that this is a prayer of Moses, the man of God. And it appears that this would have been in the aftermath of The Mirabeau situation. I'm going to start with first 5 and go down, 2 verse 12. He says he God yet, you sweet people away in the sleep of death. They're like the new grass in the morning in the morning. Extremes up. New, but by evening is dry and withered. We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. You have set our iniquities before you our secret sins in the light of your presence. All our days pass away under your ass. We finish our years. With a mon, our days may come to seventy years or eighty. If the string you can do worse yet, the best of them are brought trouble and sorrow for they quickly. Plas Leaf Iowa. If only we knew the power of your anger, your ass, it is as great as the fear that is due. And then this section is some dove. When Moses says to God, teach us to number our days that we may gain a hard wisdom. Help us choose our days. Widely, help us use our time correctly. And that really is the prayer and that is the admission. I think that Moses is making me horny. I like to look at three things and then the lesson will be yours. First of all, is quite clear to all of us since the brevity of life. Why does it last a really long time? Our days are limited that your flea, and they are fragile. And we know that But how often do you really want to think about that? We really don't want to go to the place where we seriously consider that this could be our last day or last week or last month or last year. It's not a pleasant thought. So we push it aside and we pretend like we've got all the time in the world. And actually, we do not time is a commodity. It's a limited resource and you only have so much of it, you can't manufacture more. You can't extend it. Some people say, well, if I hurry faster at work harder than I can actually have more time, but it doesn't really work that way. We have a limited number of days and we are concerned about the quality of those days where we do with those days useful. Beneficial. James chapter 4. Beginning gears 14. Jane says, why you do not even know, what will happen tomorrow? What is your life? You are a Mist that appears while. and then vanishes, Talk about fragile. Is the Miss the tearing and it isn't, it's gone. I got to tell you what, I'm not going to be like, where this point at all, but the message that I've wanted to shout for the last couple of years is to make the most of the time. What is always been that way? Other people say the younger people and gets away so fast, it's gone so quickly, use it and enjoy it, and make the most of them volunteer. My grandson Kip has a little Volkswagen convertible. Is he got earlier this year and when I sitting on my couch. The bird will go by and was he goes by, I see him in this driver seat with those little play steering wheel. Do you know when kids are about a year old and in the backseat it's not that way anymore, it's changed so quickly and so dramatic. How could this kid be driving a car off on his own?
We know all that. We know the reality of it and we know the intellectual part of it, we know, you know, intelligent Lee, how fragile. We are a feeble, we are And yet the challenges to keep that in our plans. To keep that in the things that were doing on a day-by-day basis. The choices that we make So, what? Wilson. What advice does Moses offer to was willing that last verse and first? Well, he's mentions two things, and I'm going to reverse those just for the terms of presentation and the renters to us the beauty of wisdom, because you have to decide how you're going to use today. You're going to make a decision to get up and get dressed and come to church today was it? That's the decision you're making to use this morning. How are you this afternoon? How do you use the next week? God gives to us the power of our choices. Over the use of our time, is a brain decision and then Satan Creeps in. This is coming up the most quickly. This has to be done today. You have to answer, you have to make this choice, you have to make this action and so we wind up raining out things and not doing what we actually know. We ought to be doing, instead of doing things that we feel pressured to do with that moment in time. Ephesians 5, 15 and 16.
Then how you live? Not as unwise but as wise Making the most of every opportunity. Because the days are evil. God is saying to us make wise choices with your time. That's not easy to do.
You know, I can remember times. And when I Was preparing sermons, I tried to get some ribs ready earlier in the week and then follows him up on Saturday. When the boys were younger, that was my pattern. And invariably, they come on Saturdays and try to distract me from my purpose. You know, I got to study for a while. Guys should say never, but there were times when they are way more important than that sermon I have to confess there are days when I just close it up and said, yeah, you are It was important for them to know that I was making that choice because I love them and I cared about them. Is that something you could do every week? Absolutely.
It's a decision that you might sometimes we decide. This is the better thing. This is the better use of the moment and making those wise choices based on wisdom. Is the key to all of that. May forget ski. The Comedian says, you can't have two fun-loving people in a marriage, you'll be broke by Tuesday.
He's being a little cynical there and sometimes we figured that out in in marriages, the complementary nature, and if we're fortunate. And if we're lucky, if we work things out, we get into situations, where baby, there's one fun-loving person. And maybe another person is a little more practical and they can create that balance in and make it work. Sometimes you get to people that aren't particularly interested in fun and maybe they get a whole lot done and accomplished but it's good for us to balance each other sometime. And so we look at life as a balance. You can't make a rule about what you're going to do. I had a guy come to me one time. When he said the why isn't this done? I said, I'm going to have time to do that. First thing Monday morning, That's a good enough rule. Not always valid. Sometimes, there are more important things on Monday morning, then there were living before, sometimes there are real needs, sometimes there are real crises, sometimes they're real things going on, where your presence or what your schedule is, or what you have to offer. You is me. And at that particular point in time we can have a higher but we get to the place where we say, no, the most important thing at this point in time, every week is this Then we're losing. And we're not functioning with wisdom. We just functioning out of wrote procedural Direction. They cause us to do the same thing every time. the Bible talks about discretion, And that's what boses is, reminding us of Moses had the discretion to make the right choice. Here he didn't and he understands that But he knew that he had in his spine, the ability to do that. But what is discretion? I will school teacher teaching about the prodigal son says he has money in riotous living and she asked her to what's righteous living. I'm a little boy, so that's spending all your money on bubble gum. That's a good explanation for somebody from age group. We spend all our time.
Doing what we want. Are we spend our time, doing what we think is even needed? Shirley from an Earthly, or financial or whatever basis were looking. At the time, we talk ourselves into saying, I've made a good decision here. When fired for being pulled. My forces.
That are really working against us and our families. Psalm chapter 119 verse 125.
David. They're right. I am your servant. Give me discernment. David doesn't ask for the answers. Because he knows, it each moment changes contacts. And the most important thing. At one moment, may not be the most important thing of the next moment or on a different day, at a different time. That's always says God. Help me discern. Help me to understand that life is brief. Help me to understand the information that's coming my way and then help me make the right choice. Cuz that's why I'm really concerned about. Philippians 1:10. Says so, but you may be able to discern what is best and be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.
You talk to people sometimes, especially younger people. What are your goals in life? well, I'm going to come past this, I want to accomplish is I want to accomplish still someone
And sometimes you wonder that I cure my toes to relieve, the things you want to face the end of your life and say, I did well. In that area or in those areas. Or do we want to live profitably? Purposefully. Do you want to get to the end of it and say I like mint, something, and it mattered. And that doesn't mean that we've written the great novel. That doesn't mean that we've had the greatest impact, that doesn't mean that we've led a nation. That means that there are people in this world who are different and better. Because we did what we could do. How do we know what to do with a prayer for Lee? We're looking to God saying, he doesn't tell us anything. I will do that, I'll give you that information.
if you were to use, Ma'am, nothing new here. This all before. You'll hear it all again, perhaps, but I do think it's a useful reminder for us to think over and over about the ways that we use our time, the things that are critical in our time Let me share one more thing. This is 1st Corinthians. 2:14
The person without the spirit does not accept the things that come from the spirit of God, but considers them foolishness and cannot understand them because they are just cernd only for the spirit. This isn't some secret password. This isn't some secret text. This isn't something that somebody comes along and says if you know this saying or if you know that, seeing if everything is all right with you. What Paul is talking about here is our perspective. And the world is constantly saying here's your perspective. Its wealth is Fame its Fortune as happiness. It's pleasure is all these things that we were bombarded by those things and Satan helps us to work ourselves into a frenzy so that we could have achieved those things. And then people come along to his projection for you. And sometimes we're not willing to listen to that because it's so clouded. But the world is selling and offering.
Moses is certainly an interesting character.
Eat his life easily. Compartmentalize into three sections. Now that first section, he's
You being educated in the, in the ways of pharaoh of Egypt as all these things going for him. and then he reaches out, just try to take A stand that God hasn't asked him to take and he whines up taking someone's life. He has to flee.
40 years. He spends in median.
Peter Shepherd. Don't you know that Moses over and over again? Look back it's off. How did I mess up? I had it all. I was I was God's developed individual. I was there for a purpose. I went there for a reason and my whole life didn't come to anything except just be on a mountain. I didn't God appears to be in the burning bush and he says,
I have a third act for you, it's the big act. I want you to leave my people out of Egypt and most is of being overwhelmed by that. places in our lives, where we feel like it's past the Spy. Or maybe we've missed our opportunity, maybe we're at the place where we have so many regrets that we keep thinking back and trying to reach the things that we've done because Satan once again, has deceived us into believing that we don't have much or anything left offer. And God says supposes. Hey there's a whole new adventure. Waiting there for you. Let's go back to the end of Psalms 90. The end of that song Moses's, real it Lord. How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love that we may sing for joy and be glad all of our days. Make us glad for as many days as you both. Look at us and for as many years as we've seen trouble, may your Deeds be shown to your service the Splendor to their children. May the favor of the Lord. Rest upon us, establish the work of our hands for us. Yes. Establish the work of our hands. God help me to do things with my hands in my life that are beneficial and used for you. Would you play with me?
Dear God, we thank you for your advice and your wisdom for your guidance, through your word. We thank you for models that stand up for us and we see from their lies from their good choices. And the choices, they were so good. We learn the way that you would have us live. Father, help us to appreciate this life. We have helped us appreciate this day. When opposed to understand its limitations and this fragileness give us wisdom to make choices so that at the end of life, we can look back and say I serve the Lord and I'm proud of that. Give us that blessing. We asked out of you this morning. We pray this through your son, Jesus.
