“So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” — Psalm 90:12
If I could go back in time and talk to my younger self, I would hand her this verse and say, “Meditate on this, it will change how you live.”
This verse is a prayer written by Moses, one of the oldest Psalms in the Bible. Moses reflects on how brief and fragile human life truly is. He describes life as a sigh, here for a moment, then gone.
When we’re young, we often think we have endless time ahead of us. We chase dreams, make plans, and assume the sky’s the limit. But that’s a lie. Life on this earth is short, and time is passing faster than we realize. The world we live in has an appointed end. One day, God will bring judgment, and this world will be replaced by a new heaven and a new earth.
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” II Peter 3:10-13
A promise reserved for those who believe and follow the LORD Jesus Christ.
We are not meant to stay here forever. We are only pilgrims and strangers passing through this world with a divine purpose entrusted to us by God.
When Moses prayed, “Teach us to number our days,” he wasn’t asking God to help him count the years. He was asking for wisdom to live with purpose. To “number our days” means to live with the awareness that time is sacred, and that each moment should align with God’s calling on our lives.
If we don’t ask God for that understanding, we risk wasting our lives on things that don’t matter. We’ll chase distractions, comfort, and worldly desires that pull us away from what truly counts. But when we live with purpose, our priorities shift. The Apostle Paul gives us a clear picture of how short our lives are here on earth.
“But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.” I Corinthians 7:29-31
Paul reminds us that time is short and that the things of this world are only temporary. He isn’t telling us to stop caring or to withdraw from life but to set our minds on things above. The relationships, emotions, and possessions we have are part of this world, but they shouldn’t be our highest priorities in life.
Everything around us is fading, and only what is done for God will last. That’s why the Apostle Paul urges us to live with focus, urgency, and a heavenly perspective. When we truly understand that “the form of this world is passing away,” we begin to receive from God a heart of wisdom. Our way of thinking transforms, and it begins to reflect in how we live.
We start to reorganize our lives around His calling. We set ourselves apart from people and habits that don’t help us grow or fulfill our God-given purpose. We stop holding on too tightly to temporary things and instead start investing our time and energy in what matters for eternity.
But if we allow distractions to take over, they can easily blur our sense of purpose. Before we know it, the years slip away. We look back and wonder how time moved so quickly and realize we haven’t even begun what God called us to do. We’ve wasted time that could have been used to serve God’s kingdom and accomplish far greater things for His glory.
The Apostle Paul echoes this truth again in Ephesians 5:16, urging us to:
“Redeem the time, because the days are evil.”
In other words, make the most of every moment. The distractions of this world are designed to steal our focus and waste our time. Everything we pour ourselves into whether pleasure, wealth, or even family will eventually fade away. But what we do for God will last forever.
Lastly, we must remember: tomorrow is not promised. That’s why the scripture says,
“For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2
Today is the only moment we are truly given, it’s a present from God. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, and we are not promised another sunrise.
As the Apostle James reminds us,
“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” James 4:14
Tomorrow is not guaranteed. We don’t know what will happen in the next hour or even at the next sunrise. But one thing is certain that eternity is real. And every person must choose where they will spend it: in eternal separation from God in the lake of fire, or in eternal life through Jesus Christ.
If you believe in the Lord Jesus with all your heart and surrender your life to Him, your salvation is secure. He died for your sins, rose again, and offers you forgiveness and eternal life not because of what you’ve done, but because of His mercy and love.
And if you are already a believer, remember this: the Lord didn’t call you just to believe. He called you to follow Him. Faith is not meant to be stagnant. God wants you to walk with Him daily, to grow deeper in your relationship with Him, and to fulfill the purpose He has entrusted to you.
Because one day, we will all stand before the Lord Jesus and give an account of how we lived.
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:10 NIV
Let today be the day you choose to live to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, to make your days count, and to glorify God with the life He has given you.
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