Teach Us

Psalm 90 vs 12 (NKJV)

“So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

It’s a new day, it’s a new month, it’s a new year. If you are reading this, let me be among the first people to congratulate you on entering into a new year. This is the year 2021 and 2020 was definitely one for the books. I believe historians will study it for years to come dissecting and trying to make sense of what the whole world went through. It was a year filled with highs, lows, in-betweens and just about anything anyone could experience. My wife summed it all up when she said for some it was a sprinkle, for some it was a shower, and for some it was a life-altering storm.

In the 90th chapter of the book of Psalms and the 12th verse, Moses prays a prayer that I believe is so relevant to us, “ so teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Moses was nearing the end of his ministry and he had seen a lot. God had used him as a vessel of His power but Moses was getting weary and tired and you could imagine his frustrations as we see through the verses leading up to verse 12. He prays a simple but powerful prayer that’s still as relevant today as it was back then. It was an invitation to GOD to help him realize the frailty of life. To help him understand that we are here on this earth for only a few years and to make the best use of his time wisely.

As we begin to lean into this new year, I pray this 5 day devotional would help you shape your year into a fulfilling year. By using the formula Moses employed in his prayer, we will ask God to help us number our days, weeks, months, and the year.

Lamentations 3:40 NKJV

40 Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the Lord;

What are your biggest accomplishments from the previous year? What are your biggest disappointments? What lessons did you learn? What can you do better this year? One of the best things you can do when you enter into a new year is to reflect on the previous year. 

When I was going to take my driving test to get a driver’s license, one of the things we were told we would be graded on is if you adjust your rear-view mirror and your side mirrors before you proceed to move. This is a great approach we can take with our lives. Lamentations 3 vs 40a says “ let us search out and examine our ways.” Before we make a next move, we check to see if we have learned lessons from the past ones. Reflection often shines light on things we did well, things we can improve on, and things we can change. 

Numbering our days requires us to count/reflect on the previous ones. We should never be in a hurry to move on without reflecting. There is a popular saying that “experience is the best teacher.” I beg to differ because I have had many experiences and I am sure you have too, that we didn’t learn from. The experiences we learn from are the ones we evaluated, the ones we took time to reflect on. So as you begin to make plans for this year, make sure you reflect on the previous year so you can have a clear picture of what to do, what not to do, and what you can improve upon in the new year. 

Habakkuk 2 vs 2 NKJV

2 Then the Lord answered me and said “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.

What are your plans for the year? Have you written them down? One of the first steps of accomplishing any goal is to write them down. In my short stint on this earth, I have come to realize that only the plans or goals I write down have the chance of success. Growing up I often heard phrases like “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” In Habakkuk 2 vs 2 God tells the prophet to write the vision down and make it plain. This tells me that we also have to go deeper than just writing our vision down; we have to make it plain. We have to demystify the plan and make it easy for anyone to follow. Your plan should be well thought out that if anyone was to join you along the way, they have a clear picture of where you are headed. 

As a single person what are your plans for this year? As a married couple what are your plans? Make sure you write as much down as possible and make it very plain. Have a meeting with yourself and ask God to tell you what to do with your life this year. For the married couples have a meeting with your spouse and ask God to direct you on what he would have you as a family accomplish this year.  When we read through the bible, we see that God was very detailed in instruction given to carry out tasks. I pray that God will teach you to plan and He will give you the wisdom to see the plan to completion.

Prayer:  Lord teach me to plan, give me a heart of wisdom. Help me plan as you would have me plan. Reveal to me your plans for my life this year and let me walk faithfully in your plans for me in Jesus name Amen.  

Proverbs 21:31 NKJV 

31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But deliverance is of the Lord.

Are you prepared?  I am sure your question is what am I preparing for? Are you prepared for the goals you want to accomplish? It’s one thing to write out our plans, it's another thing to actually prepare to accomplish them. King Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, tells us in Proverbs 21 verse 31 that “the horse is prepared for battle, but deliverance is of the lord.” King Solomon was giving us great insight and assurance. He says in not too many words that we have a part to play in the plan of our lives. When we do our part, God brings the deliverance.  

The preparation phase is the action phase of your plan. It’s the phase where you do all that you can humanly do to accomplish your plans. It’s where you position yourself and wait for God’s deliverance. There are opportunities that God will bring your way; it could be friendships, programs, exposure, publicity and a host of other things. God is not limited in His creativity. When those opportunities arise it’s only the people who are prepared that can embrace and effectively navigate them. So, don’t waste any more time; start preparing yourself for when those opportunities come. 

Prayer: Lord teach me to prepare, give me the wisdom to do the things I need to do today to set me up for a better tomorrow. I pray for the resources and the directions to adequately prepare for your move. in Jesus name Amen.  

Question: What do I need to start doing today to prepare for tomorrow?

1 Timothy 3:5 NKJV

5 for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?;

Priorities, priorities, priorities. Did I say priorities? In all seriousness, one of the biggest things that derails us is not having our priorities in order. One of the things God spoke to me in late 2019 was about getting my priorities in order. I was so busy with ministry, work and my businesses, and it felt like I wasn’t making much progress in my life. Even though I was busy doing a lot of things there wasn’t tangible progress. God used a sermon from Andy Stanley called “Breathing Room” to really speak to me about my priorities.

In one of the letters the apostle Paul wrote to his protégé Timothy, Paul warns about the importance of priorities. 1 Timothy 3:5 says “For if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?”  This new year it is paramount that we make sure our priorities are in order. Make sure you are taking care of your health, your finances, and your relationships just as much as you are taking care of your goals. Oftentimes when we don’t address these things, they have a way of affecting the other areas of our lives. 

Prayer: Lord teach me to prioritize, give me the wisdom to rightly place the important things in my life . Help me identify the things that are time wasters that I need to get rid of in Jesus name Amen.

Question: What are some things I have given priority to that are not beneficial to me? List them out and determine how to address them.

Genesis 2:2 NKJV

2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 

 One of my favorite books in the bible is the book of Genesis. I especially like Genesis 1. God is introduced to us as the all-powerful, all knowing , all seeing, magnificent creator, and that introduction still leaves me in awe till this day. One of my favorite songs by Hillsong “So Will I” captures a glimpse of what this moment would have felt like. And as the creation narrative story ends, we are given another aspect of this magnificent God we were just introduced to. Genesis 2 vs 2 “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.” I believe God did this so we can know the importance of rest. This is so important to God that He also instructed Moses in Exodus 20 that the sabbath (A day of rest) must be observed. 

A few years ago my family and I were saved from a terrible accident. We knew the enemy tried but God always protects His own. One of the lessons learnt from that incident was that you cannot cheat rest. When you are tired you need to rest. Many of us go on without taking the necessary rest and we end up in accidents or way off course.  It’s important that as we go into the year we also make room for rest in our schedules. A simple way is to choose one day a week to disconnect from social media, news, and your normal routine. Spend time with God renewing your mind and resting in His counsel.

Prayer: Lord teach me to rest, give me the wisdom to discern when I need rest. Help me see rest as part of my routine so I can be refreshed in Jesus name Amen.

Question: How can I include rest in my schedule? 

I hope this devotional has been a good help for you. May God teach us to number our days so we may gain hearts of wisdom.