So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

Moses Considers Man’s Choice

Man has only two choices, rebellion or submission.

Rebellion is seen in vs 11, Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.

God is powerful and His anger, His wrath is powerful. God who spoke the universe into existence is a God of holiness, righteousness and justice. God according to His nature of holiness and justice, will pronounce judgment upon sin and those who rejected Him. The glories of heaven to come are starkly contrasted, in equal measure, to the horrors of hell. The blessing of knowing God is contrasted to the empty despair of rejecting Him.

But there is a better choice. Submission vs 12-17 “Psalms 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Here is the heart of Moses’ prayer, “Oh Lord, teach us to number our days.” Moses is pleading with God, “Please, my God, show me how to make my days, my life, my work, my effort, count.”  

Return Oh, Lord… He pleads, “Come back to us, how long before we can know your mercy.” This is repentance for himself and for his people.

He prays, “Satisfy us early that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”

He says, “Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us. … For every day we have wept, dear God now give us joy.”

The Lesson of Our Choice

Here is the final part of Moses prayer and through it the life lesson we must learn. Will you rebel or will you submit to the sovereignty of God?

Each of us must come to a place, a time, where we like Moses submit to the Lord and ask, “Oh Lord, make my life count for eternity. Teach me how to number my days. To make them count for something before this life is over”

If you leave God out of your life, if you don’t submit you life to Him, then you are guilty of denying Him who is the ruler of all things and the judge we will all stand before one day.

We must see Him as our master, our Lord. If we clearly see our own weakness then we will surrender, call out and God graciously answer our call. Our life will have meaning and it will count even unto eternity.

Jesus calls to us and says, Matthew 11:28-29 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

And one day when eternity rolls around we will hear Him say, Matthew 25:21

Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

When we pray the same kind of prayer that Moses prayed, when we submit ourselves to God’s love, to his grace to his mercy and to his sovereignty, then we will also be able to say with Moses, “I will rejoice and be glad all our days."