Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Numbering My Days


Life is fragile. I was reminded of this stark reality when I received the message. One of my husband's co-workers had been given two weeks to live. The cancer that had been in remission, had returned with a vengeance. My thoughts and prayers turned to the man and his family.

Death isn't a pleasant topic. But as a result of Adam and Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden, it's an age-old reality (Genesis 3). The Apostle Paul spoke about it plainly, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12; KJV).

With my birthday looming only a handful of days away, I can attest to the fact that life passes by quickly. Moses was wise in his advice, "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." (Psalms 90:12). But how can I apply my heart to wisdom in the days I have left on this earth? Thankfully the Lord spells it out clearly for me, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever." (Psalm 111:10). It's all about reverencing Him. Giving Him his rightful place - first place. Worshipping and obeying Him. And giving Him the praise He is due.

It begins with a relationship. Or should I say, a broken relationship. Years ago I realized that I couldn't bridge the gap between me and God. I couldn't do enough good things to bring myself into fellowship with a holy God. I realized the truth of His Word, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23). I thought about all the times I had disobeyed and chosen to do the wrong things. I had to admit I was a sinner.

Sin demanded a payment. Debt isn't a good thing. Especially if I'm the one who owes the payment. But the only payment that would completely satisfy my sin debt was the one made by Christ on the cross. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord," (Romans 6:23).

In His love and mercy, God sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to pay my sin debt. Christ completed the work necessary to secure my salvation, "But God commendeth (showed) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," (Romans 5:8; parentheses mine).

Christ had done the work, I had a decision to make. Did I believe His death on the cross paid for my sins? Or not? I believed. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved," (Romans 10:9). It's a matter of faith, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast, " (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Having a restored relationship with my Creator made all the difference. Now it's possible to live out the rest of my days on earth applying my heart to wisdom - making much of the Lord and pointing others to the One who makes life worth living!

Have you placed your faith in the One who is able to erase your sin debt? If so, are you applying your heart to wisdom each day?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of life. Thank You most of all, for the gift of eternal life available through faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help me to live wisely, realizing that life is short. In Jesus' name, Amen.

11 comments:

  1. As always you get to the heart of the matter. Blessings!

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  2. Hi sweet friend, Powerful post, I've got a mil who is near the end of her days and it makes you really re-evaluate how you spend your time. So sorry to hear of your husband's coworker; may God's grace cover him and his family.
    Hope you have a wonderful birthday!!!!!
    Love, Noreen

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  3. Terri - Good to see you! Praying for you as you make the transition to TX living! God is good, isn't He?! Hugs!

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  4. Noreen - Thanks for stopping by! Sorry to hear about your mother-in-law. I know what you mean about re-evaluating how our time is spent. So many things snag our attention that just aren't important. Appreciate you keeping this family lifted up in prayer! Hugs and blessings to you, my friend!

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  5. It is hard to think about death, but I LOVE picturing heaven and being there someday with Jesus and all my family and friends.

    Blessings to you, Maria!

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  6. My faith in Him is ALL that i have!

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  7. Hi Maria -

    My faith is in Jesus Christ! I pray that the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart will be acceptable in His sight.

    Blessings,
    Susan :)

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  8. Cheryl - Great to see you! Death is not something pleasant to think about. Yet in Christ, we have the reassurance that we'll spend an eternity with Him! Praise the Lord! God bless you!

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  9. KC - So good to see you! When we get to the place that we realize He IS all we have - we're in a good position! Life is really pretty simple. It's all about Him! Working on making that a reality in my everyday life! Hugs to you, girl!

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  10. Susan - Always a blessing when you stop by! Love the verse you quoted from Psalm 19. I need to incorporate that into my prayers more often! Have a very blessed week, enjoying His presence! Hugs to you!

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  11. Maria, it's true that we are not worthy to receive Him. Our salvation is through our faith and His grace.

    So sad about your husband's coworkers. My prayers are with this man and his family.

    Blessings to you and yours.

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