For this 5 year old girl standing on the playground there appears to be plenty of squares ahead of her. For those of us who are older it is a sobering thought to place ourselves into the square that represents our age and then view how few are in front of us and how many are behind. Even more sobering to the mind it is when we realise that we do not know how many years are before us. ‘There is plenty of time’ is one of Satan’s lies – he doesn’t know how long or short our lives are, neither do you or I – only God knows. ‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.’ Psalm 90 v12
Moses tells us in Psalm 90 v10 ‘The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.’
While some may live to 100 or beyond the majority will not. Moses states the days of our years being on average 70-80 years, but it’s not guaranteed. The old must die, the young may die. It also stands to reason that as our age increases beyond mid-life so will the infirmities of body and mind.
Our greatest concern should be what happens when we finish our last square.
For some it will be an to end all their sorrow, disappointment, pain and tears and be the beginning of unspeakable joys in the glories of heaven. For others it will be the end of any joy they have known and be the beginning of never-ending sorrow and pain in hell.
Eternity, tremendous sound!
To guilty souls a dreadful wound;
But O, if Christ and heaven be mine,
How sweet the accents, how divine! - Gadsby’s Hymns 1085
If by the grace of God we are taught to truly number our days, to know the certainty of death and eternity and know something of our sins then we are being made wise. In the person and work of God’s Son Jesus Christ there is an answer to all the needs of guilty sinners who are being made ‘…wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus’ 2 Timothy ch3 v15 By prayer - in faith - they apply for mercy, forgiveness and righteousness at the feet of Jesus Christ who is Wisdom itself. Solomon sets forth Christ as Wisdom in Proverbs ch8 and we read there ‘I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.’ Proverbs ch8 v17 What a promise!!
‘Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all that hate me love death.’ Proverbs ch8 v34-36