Teach us to number our days.....

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Ps90 v12

Happy New Year!

2012 closes and by the Grace of God 2013 stretches out before us like a blank page - full of possibilities and opportunities, a clean start. In my life and in our schooling, it is true for both. So the question is - how will I use the next 365 days,or 8,765 hours - and it's only that much if the Lord wills it and Jesus does not return for us sooner!
My point is - time is precious and as I was reminded in our home group last night, It is a gift of God, each new day we have it is God's grace that we have it - how do I use it? If I'm honest as I look back over the last year, the time I have been given has been wasted in many respects - not all , but far more than I am comfortable with. God is a God of Grace and I praise and thank Him for that, cause I need it! But I do feel the challenge from Him,

 "Are you being a good steward of the gifts I give you, your time, money, resources, home, family?" 

Ephesians 5 v14 - 20 rings out clear:

"Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

      "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Psalm 90 v12


It's not just time and resources I need to prioritise, but what about those spiritual blessings He gives us, am I being a good steward of those? What of the inheritance that is mine because of Jesus and the completed work of the cross? It cost Him so much, do i receive it and live it? or despise it thinking I can do a better job myself than He can do in me and through me?

Jesus' work on the cross wasn't just so we can 'get saved', and then carry on in our own strength,  it wasn't just a 'jump start' into the kingdom of God with a,  "now you've got a second chance - go to it - and don't mess it up!"  Jesus said in John 10 v 10

"I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly"

 So, am I living in Life abundant? The Bible is full of great promises for the believer - but do we actually live in them? am I living the victorious life that the Bible says is mine as a child of God, filled with joy and peace? That life Jesus bought and paid for with His blood?
Jesus and his work on the cross is a completed work not just to save us, but to give us life abundant. His cry from the cross which echoes throughout eternity was "It is finished!" - the greek implies a debt paid in full, all accounted for, nothing more needs to be added  - In Jesus we have every promise fulfilled, and every provision made  for the new life we have been given in Him.

 So how do we receive these provisions - these blessings and promises from His word?
 The same way we got saved - by Faith - by believing on The Lord Jesus Christ and what he did for us - by submitting to Him, humbling ourselves under Him, acknowledging we can't but He has for us done it, and receiving it by faith- that day we died to our selves and came alive to Him.
 We could not save ourselves,  we needed Christ and the Cross. Now saved we cannot keep ourselves in right standing with God, we cannot sanctify ourselves by our own will power and good works, we need Christ and the Cross.

Our sanctification,  not just our salvation,  is completed in the cross and outworked in us by His Holy Spirit - as long as we are trusting in Christ and Him Crucified . 

If I fall into believing I can earn some blessing or provision by keeping some law I make for myself , (for example - if I tithe more, or spend more time in prayer and bible reading, or if I repeat that promise out loud every day for a week or if I fast more often or if I belong to that particular church etc etc - you can fill in your own little 'condition' you feel you have to do) - If i start to believe any of that,  I begin to believe in 'myself'  - I frustrate the grace of God and the Holy Spirit is restricted in working in my life,  by my faith being put in the wrong thing, The Holy Spirit only glorifies Christ, not our strong will power or determination to do or be the right thing.

So, Am I needing wisdom to know the right ways for my home, family and schooling?
 then 1 Corinthians1 v30 promises,

But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption...

The Holy Spirit is the one who does the work in us and through us. We can't do anything just be sheer will power - we will fall sooner or later. We were saved by Faith in Jesus and the cross, we were made a new creation by faith in Jesus and the cross, we live out our daily walk with Him  - the same way - by Faith in the
Lord Jesus and the completed work of the Cross. As it is written.....

"the just shall live by  faith." Habakkuk 2 v 4

May the Lord reveal Himself to you more and more, and may this year count more than any year previously in what we do and how we live for Him, may we use our time wisely and not waste what God gives us, in every day may Jesus be lifted up more, and we become less, because He is worthy. Amen.xx