Worship by Numbers

Psalm 90:10,12

As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, eighty years,
Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow;
For soon it is gone and we fly away.

So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.

This verse inspired me to think about how numbering my days might be related to worship and prayer. We all number our days at various times for various reasons. We count up to our birthdays and anniversaries. And we count down to vacations, dentist appointments and saying goodbye. I have started counting, or numbering, things as they relate to devotional life. I have found that counting the days has given me a fresh appreciation for life. And not just my spiritual life, but my physical life, too!

I have recently learned a song about one day in His court being better than thousands elsewhere. And, it started me wondering how many thousands of days there will actually be in my life. So, I counted them. Today, I am 17,188 days old (having recently celebrated my 47th birthday!). If I live to be 70, my days will add up to 25,568. If I do the math: I have, statistically speaking, only 8,380 days remaining in this life to sing His praises.

When we’ve been there for ten thousand years of unceasing worship, the days that remain will be undiminished. No matter how many days we worship, we will never have any fewer days left. But here, on earth, when we have sung His praises for 10,000 days, we have only about 15,000 days left. Give or take a few.

I spent the first 8,078 days of my life oblivious to God, singing no praises to Him, and thanking Him for nothing. Now, I have been worshipping God for 9,110 days. I think I’ll have a party in about 890 days!! What are you doing on February 7, 2012? I’ll be singing His praises. For my ten-thousandth day!

Remember that you should exalt His work,
Of which men have sung
All men have seen it; Man beholds from afar.
Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him;
The number of His years is unsearchable.
Job 36:24-26

May God grant you a heart of wisdom!

Worship by Numbers
Ramona Denton

You do not have a soul; you are a soul.
You have a body.
– C.S. Lewis