Sand-Taught Wisdom

“So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:12, NKJV).

My children and I have a devotional time together every evening before bed. We take turns sharing a passage of Scripture that has been speaking to us and pray together. This week, Holy Spirit had me share the above verse, Psalm 90:12, with them.

The picture of an hourglass had been going through my spirit as I prepared to do so. This is the essence of what explained to them about it:

“An hourglass is such an accurate visual representation of time. Just as those grains of sand fall through the hole, the moments of our lives are passing. We will never get them back. What we are living through right now will soon be over. It’s up to us whether to receive from the Father what He has for us during this time. What is He doing right now in our hearts? Let’s ask Him for sensitivity to discern His movements and to yield to the work of His masterful hands.”

Right now, I am doing life with three of my four children and a precious sister from church named Brenda. My husband and oldest daughter are still stuck away from home. The Peruvian government just extended the lockdown for the third time. I literally have not left my house once in the last seven weeks. These are strange times.

At the same time, they are precious times. The presence of the Lord is so near. He is ministering to us daily. He is teaching us deep, deep dependence on Him and Him alone. He is creating deeper bonds between us than ever before. There is an unprecedented camaraderie that has been born out of living through these times together. The closeness that has been growing is very special. As I told my children and Brenda, we will look back on these days with true fondness.

Yes, it’s true; we won’t have them back. I sense an urgency in my spirit for us to lean into what the Father is doing during these moments of our lives. As Jesus expressed, “My Father never stops working” (John 5:17, NCV). Right now, He is doing something precious. Right now, He is doing something amazing. Right now, He is doing something of eternal worth. What is it that He doing?

“For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?” (Isa. 14:27, NASB). His purposes are unstoppable. He is accomplishing them in the earth. He will be exalted among the nations! He invites us to pause, listen and discover what He is saying to our hearts. He invites us to join Him in what He is doing.

Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Teach us to treasure each one as a gift from You. Before these moments slip away forever, what do You have in mind for them? Train us in sensitivity to Your movements, that we might move with You. What are You doing right now? How can we join You?

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Do you occasionally meditate on the important truth that you have a specific, finite number of days left to live on the earth?