Time Well Spent

By Lisa Supp

“So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”—Psalm 90:12 (NASB)

The end of something tends to bring perspective. The end of a year, a project, a relationship, or a life, can make us take a step back to consider the time spent. What have we invested in? Where have we toiled? How have we performed, and when did we fall short? 

This step back often leaves us second-guessing, which isn’t such a bad thing. It’s a time of reflection and gathering together what was done successfully and what improvements could be made. The culmination of one thing often leads to the illumination of what’s to come. It’s perspective.

Moses brought with him a wealth of this perspective when he wrote Psalm 90. The Psalm reflects, placing man’s frailty between God’s sovereignty and grace. It is the testimony of an educated prince of Egypt’s transformation into a wise servant of God.

To fully appreciate this Psalm, we should understand Moses' history.  Moses exchanged his royal role in Egypt for a more nomadic life in the Midian desert; he’d made some mistakes and was just kind of going through the motions as a shepherd. Then, one day “the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush” (Exodus 3:2 NASB). When Moses saw the burning bush, he “turned aside,” and “when the Lord saw that he had turned aside to look, God called to him” (3:4). It was a life-changing event; no longer a shepherd of sheep, but a shepherd of a nation and a man of God. 

We, too, are just living our lives, looking back on what we’ve done, walking in what we know. But when God reveals Himself to us, He notes whether we turn aside or whether we turn away. If we choose to seek Him, an amazing thing happens—a blazing fire may ignite in the midst of our hearts that culminates the foolishness of man and illuminates the wisdom of God. 

This wisdom is a blessed perspective, more profitable than silver, and yielding better returns than gold (Proverbs 3:14). God urges us to seek and attain it (Proverbs 2:2, 4:7), so He gives it generously without finding fault; all we need to do is ask (James 1:5). 

This wisdom is a new beginning with the opportunity to step back, evaluate your life, and ask God to help you make the best use of your time. Ultimately, the heart you present to Him at the end of each day will reflect the wisdom He gave you to spend. And that is time well spent. 

DIG: Devote some time to reflect on the past year. Think about what you have accomplished or have yet to do. Don’t get distracted by what you think you need to do at this moment. Just reflect.

DISCOVER: Then, zero in on what you know about God’s will for your life and the time given to you, even if it’s just the next day. Focus on what you feel God is teaching you or where He is leading you.

DO: Finally, commit yourself to present to the Lord a heart of wisdom. Learn what God’s wisdom means. Set aside time to read His Word daily, pray for wisdom, and seek opportunities where you can exercise and utilize the wisdom He has given.