Saturday, March 13, 2021

Reflection - Thinking of Heaven - Counting Our Days Aright

Source (book): "Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, Part V: THINKING OF HEAVEN, Chapter 32, "Preparing for Heaven", Question 1, Page 213.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012


How does learning to count our days aright help us prepare for heaven?
PHOTO: How does learning to count our days aright help us prepare for heaven?
Psalm 90, attributed to Moses, is probably the oldest psalm in the Bible. In it, we read a petition: "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (
Psalm 90:12 NIV1984, emphasis added).

To count our days aright is to realise that our remaining days are numbered - and it is not really a big number. To count our days correctly does not mean arriving at a particular number, it means arriving at true wisdom, a wisdom that knows the implications of limited time on earth. Such wisdom will enable us to see our days on earth and all they entail (require) in the context of eternity with God in His kingdom (heaven). As we read in the well-known Psalm 23, we often think about the phrase "all the days of my life" (Psalm 23:6) and long for all our days on earth to be richly blessed with God's goodness and love. But this would be true only if all our days are framed in the "forever" reality of the "house of the LORD" (Psalm 23:6).


What would this entail for you personally?
Only as we turn to the eternal God saying: "from everlasting to everlasting you are God" (Psalm 90:2), can we really learn to count our days aright. Our limited days must be properly framed within the eternal years of God; then only can we find true meaning for our passing and transient days. Godly wisdom will know how to differentiate the ultimate from the penultimate (2nd last), the number of perforations in the communion rail from the life-transforming encounter with the living Christ.


How can you learn to count your days aright?

Many people encounter a problem here. They spend a good part, if not all, of their days worrying and running after functional penultimate goals. They have difficult knowing the difference between means and ends, between that which will crumble into dust and that which will endure. Jesus told His listeners: "do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear . . . your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:25, 32-33).

Jesus also told the story of an unnamed rich man and a beggar named Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). The story itself is radical. Both rich men and beggars must die, but their lot in the other side can be vastly different from that on earth. The rich man had the skills to count his wealth and possessions. Even on the other side, he could still count (he mentions his five brothers), and he expects Lazarus to be like a servant to him when he asks Abraham to send him over with some water! The man had not changed, for his sinful character had become frozen and hardened on the other side.

Lazarus must also have counted his days. His days on earth were extremely miserable; he lived in the shadows of the margins, and his sores refused to heal. He must have told himself that the end was surely not far away, that his sufferings would soon be over. The rich man, on the other hand, thought that there would be no end to his pleasures. He did not have the godly wisdom to count his days.

The ancient St Catherine's monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai marks the spot where Moses (who wrote Psalm 90) met God at the burning bush. Monks have been living there for the last 1,500 years. When they die, they are buried for a while, and then their bones are unearthed and kept in the chapel. Visitors will find heaps of skulls gathered over the centuries. They serve to remind the monks that their days on earth need to be framed by eternity. The skull heaps quietly articulate that ancient prayer: Teach us to count our days (asking for wisdom).

Our churches today have no skull heaps nor graveyards (which are common in old churches across Europe) to give us wisdom, and although some have columbaria, these tend to be disconnected from the regular life of the churches. Still, as congregations, we must collectively and individually seek to live wisely, learning to count down our days, and looking forward to the days that cannot be counted in the "forever" reality of God. As the years pass us by, let us learn to frame our days with the eternity of God.
Picture posted by Nutraceuticos Momenta
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I knew a church member who could tell you the exact number of holes on the church communion rail for placing used cups. He had taken the trouble to count the perforations, and I wonder how many times he had to count them to make sure he got it right. Unfortunately, this man passed away before we could find out other interesting facts about the church building and its furnishings. The man was good at counting, but did he count the most important things?


I knew a church member who could tell you the exact number of holes on the church communion rail for placing used cups.
PHOTO: I knew a church member who could tell you the exact number of holes on the church communion rail for placing used cups. The man was good at counting, but did he count the most important things?
Picture posted by Shutterstock - kissing mother in nature

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Psalm 90, attributed to Moses, is probably the oldest psalm in the Bible. In it, we read a petition: "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12 NIV1984, emphasis added). It is critical that we count our days aright, which means to count them correctly, no matter what else we are drawn to count. But how do we do it? It is not easy; otherwise the psalmist would not have had to ask God to teach him to count. Apparently, it's more challenging than calculating one's trophies, calorie intake, discount savings, or bank accounts.


Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom
PHOTO: "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). It is critical that we count our days aright, which means to count them correctly, no matter what else we are drawn to count.
Picture posted by Distinctive Journals

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The difficulty in counting our days can be understood when we realise that the psalmist is referring to the finitude (limit) of our lives on earth - "Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures" (Psalm 90:10). We all have an expiry date - the trouble is, we do not know what that is. We know our birth date, but not the day when we shall breathe our last. And, if the psalmist is really talking about counting down rather than counting, we can appreciate the particular difficulty at hand. It is easy to count our age and the years we have lived, but it is difficult to count our remaining days since we don't know when the end will come.


Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures

Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures
PHOTO: "Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures" (Psalm 90:10). We all have an expiry date - the trouble is, we do not know what that is. We know our birth date, but not the day when we shall breathe our last.  It is easy to count our age and the years we have lived, but it is difficult to count our remaining days since we don't know when the end will come.
Picture from Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrNJSGGoBB2KUJqHaU6HNmL_gVFMiEv294KYqt45Vj_gI7F5V0ksnj6W0VOekrnNgt9pAPh1D68PrKBw9_cTPwYNQBW0Xjh92MmdQ56aOLtgkiQrzh4S0aSOvVf2cvMPaCtniS0BiNUc/s2048/Grabmal_von_Johann_Meyer_1.png
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How does learning to count our days aright help us prepare for heaven? What would this entail for you personally? How can you learn to count your days aright?

How does learning to count our days aright help us prepare for heaven?

Psalm 90, attributed to Moses, is probably the oldest psalm in the Bible. In it, we read a petition: "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (
Psalm 90:12 NIV1984, emphasis added).

To count our days aright is to realise that our remaining days are numbered - and it is not really a big number. To count our days correctly does not mean arriving at a particular number, it means arriving at true wisdom, a wisdom that knows the implications of limited time on earth. Such wisdom will enable us to see our days on earth and all they entail (require) in the context of eternity with God in His kingdom (heaven). As we read in the well-known Psalm 23, we often think about the phrase "all the days of my life" (Psalm 23:6) and long for all our days on earth to be richly blessed with God's goodness and love. But this would be true only if all our days are framed in the "forever" reality of the "house of the LORD" (Psalm 23:6).


To count our days aright is to realise that our remaining days are numbered - and it is not really a big number.
PHOTO: To count our days aright is to realise that our remaining days are numbered - and it is not really a big number. To count our days correctly does not mean arriving at a particular number, it means arriving at true wisdom, a wisdom that knows the implications of limited time on earth.
Picture posted by likemystatus.in

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https://www.likemystatus.in/2020/06/Inspirational-Bible-Verse-Psalm-23-6.html



What would this entail for you personally?
Only as we turn to the eternal God saying: "from everlasting to everlasting you are God" (Psalm 90:2), can we really learn to count our days aright. Our limited days must be properly framed within the eternal years of God; then only can we find true meaning for our passing and transient days. Godly wisdom will know how to differentiate the ultimate from the penultimate (2nd last), the number of perforations in the communion rail from the life-transforming encounter with the living Christ.


What would  count our days aright entail (requires) for you personally?
PHOTO: What would  count our days aright entail (requires) for you personally?
Turn to the eternal God saying:
"from everlasting to everlasting you are God" (
Psalm 90:2), can we really learn to count our days aright.
Picture posted by Tina Connor - psalm 90:2 KJV

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBJTGH87iXWBsc0VEFwMJvnCFUYqJ4yHona48UoSfZAmRx0PehRTmawUra6njH2cniVROmZNN8yqV83eNOKcISSlAhaDHRL9XKoGRv3FboxtTRDvhVw7JL_KBOYIYIXEWRd9Wj9mcnrA/s736/dc399fe66e8bffaa49fbe97f69bc1d94.jpg
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https://www.pinterest.com/pin/51017408256909771/



How can you learn to count your days aright?
Many people encounter a problem here. They spend a good part, if not all, of their days worrying and running after functional penultimate goals. They have difficult knowing the difference between means and ends, between that which will crumble into dust and that which will endure. Jesus told His listeners: "do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear . . . your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:25, 32-33).


How can you learn to count your days aright?
PHOTO: How can you learn to count your days aright?
Jesus told His listeners:
"do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear . . . your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:25, 32-33).
Many people encounter a problem here. They spend a good part, if not all, of their days worrying and running after functional penultimate goals.
Picture posted by daum.net on 25 December 2015 at 17:03

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSu9mBd0efp4CKw3OufPAajXzMmsgS_bv3g3nQFxFBEyUxyPyx88It7_S41vERkaspL0Obdw8CbgIVi4fjZn8xYwS8gxkrsscjc2M0fh00XFL-ht7rROa5tF5i53XcFq0_647u_6IhqLA/s844/%25EA%25BE%25B8%25EB%25AF%25B8%25EA%25B8%25B0_J+%252826%2529.jpg
https://m.blog.daum.net/yhmoon33/275


Jesus also told the story of an unnamed rich man and a beggar named Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). The story itself is radical. Both rich men and beggars must die, but their lot in the other side can be vastly different from that on earth. The rich man had the skills to count his wealth and possessions. Even on the other side, he could still count (he mentions his five brothers), and he expects Lazarus to be like a servant to him when he asks Abraham to send him over with some water! The man had not changed, for his sinful character had become frozen and hardened on the other side.

Lazarus must also have counted his days. His days on earth were extremely miserable; he lived in the shadows of the margins, and his sores refused to heal. He must have told himself that the end was surely not far away, that his sufferings would soon be over. The rich man, on the other hand, thought that there would be no end to his pleasures. He did not have the godly wisdom to count his days.


Jesus also told the story of an unnamed rich man and a beggar named Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31).
PHOTO: Jesus also told the story of an unnamed rich man and a beggar named Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31).  Lazarus must also have counted his days. His days on earth were extremely miserable; he lived in the shadows of the margins, and his sores refused to heal. He must have told himself that the end was surely not far away, that his sufferings would soon be over. The rich man, on the other hand, thought that there would be no end to his pleasures. He did not have the godly wisdom to count his days.
Picture posted by omoyiwolabusayo

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https://steemit.com/steemchurch/@omoyiwolabusayo/your-final-destination-after-death-heaven-or-hell
 

The ancient St Catherine's monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai marks the spot where Moses (who wrote Psalm 90) met God at the burning bush. Monks have been living there for the last 1,500 years. When they die, they are buried for a while, and then their bones are unearthed and kept in the chapel. Visitors will find heaps of skulls gathered over the centuries. They serve to remind the monks that their days on earth need to be framed by eternity. The skull heaps quietly articulate that ancient prayer: Teach us to count our days (asking for wisdom).


The ancient St Catherine's monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai marks the spot where Moses (who wrote Psalm 90) met God at the burning bush.
PHOTO: The ancient St Catherine's monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai marks the spot where Moses (who wrote Psalm 90) met God at the burning bush.  Visitors will find heaps of skulls gathered over the centuries. They serve to remind the monks that their days on earth need to be framed by eternity. The skull heaps quietly articulate that ancient prayer: Teach us to count our days (asking for wisdom).
Painting by David Roberts (1839) - Convent of St. Catherine with Mount Horeb
Picture posted by "A Blog of Note on Thursday, 22 October 2015

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http://poulwebb.blogspot.com/2015/10/david-roberts-part-3.html
 

Our churches today have no skull heaps nor graveyards (which are common in old churches across Europe) to give us wisdom, and although some have columbaria, these tend to be disconnected from the regular life of the churches. Still, as congregations, we must collectively and individually seek to live wisely, learning to count down our days, and looking forward to the days that cannot be counted in the "forever" reality of God. As the years pass us by, let us learn to frame our days with the eternity of God.


As congregations, we must collectively and individually seek to live wisely, learning to count down our days, and looking forward to the days that cannot be counted in the 'forever' reality of God.
PHOTO: As congregations, we must collectively and individually seek to live wisely, learning to count down our days, and looking forward to the days that cannot be counted in the "forever" reality of God. As the years pass us by, let us learn to frame our days with the eternity of God.
Picture posted by Dreamstime

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Dear Lord
PHOTO: "Dear Lord, we learn that to count our days aright is to have the wisdom to realise that our remaining days are numbered - and it is not really a big number. To count our days correctly does not mean arriving at a particular number, it means arriving at true wisdom, a wisdom that knows the implications of limited time on earth. Grant us this wisdom which will enable us to see our days on earth and all they require for eternity with God in His kingdom.

Help us to turn to the eternal God saying: ‘from everlasting to everlasting you are God’, so that we really learn to count our days aright. Our limited days must be properly framed within the eternal years of God; then only can we find true meaning for our passing and transient days. We pray for godly wisdom that know how to differentiate the ultimate from the penultimate. Grant us the ultimate life-transforming encounter with the living Christ.

We need Your help as we seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, so that all our days on earth can be richly blessed with God's goodness and love. May we be like Lazarus telling ourselves that our sufferings would soon be over. And not to think that there would be no end to our pleasures with just our earthly possessions. Please give us the godly wisdom to count our days aright.

As congregations, help us to collectively and individually seek to live wisely, learning to count down our days, and looking forward to the days that cannot be counted in the ‘forever’ reality of God. As the years pass us by, let us learn to frame our days with the eternity of God.

Teach us to count our days. May all our days be ultimately framed in the ‘forever’ reality of the ‘house of the LORD’.

Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen!
"
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Reflection - Thinking of Heaven - Counting Our Days Aright
Source (book): "Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, Part V: THINKING OF HEAVEN, Chapter 32, "Preparing for Heaven", Question 1, Page 213.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012




Also from the same author, Robert M. Solomon

"Faithful to the end", A Preacher's Exposition of 2 Timothy, @ 2014 by Robert M. Solomon

'Faithful to the end', A Preacher's Exposition of 2 Timothy, @ 2014 by Robert M. Solomon<br>
Reflection - Faithful to the end (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2017/06/reflection-faithful-to-end-links.html


"Finding rest for the soul" Responding to Jesus' Invitation in Matthew 11:28-29, ©
2016 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/10/reflection-finding-rest-for-soul-links.html


"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, ©
2016 by Robert M. Solomon

'Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-i.html


"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, ©
2016 by Robert M. Solomon

'Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-iv.html
 


"Songs of Christmas", The Stories and Significance of 20 Well-Loved Carols, ©
2018 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020

https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/04/reflection-songs-of-christmas-links.html
 


Reference
[1] From "Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, Copyright © 2019 by Robert M. Solomon, ISBN 978-981-14-1836-5, Part V: THINKING OF HEAVEN, Chapter 32, "Preparing for Heaven", Page 207-210.


Links


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