By: Pastor Lars
Today is my son Gideon’s 14th birthday. Happy Birthday, Gideon!
This has become a birthday month for us Janssens. Three of us have birthdays in August and so do several of our extended family members — on both my wife’s side and mine. Most years we have two big birthday gatherings, one for each side of the family. It’s a lot of fun, but it also requires a fair bit of coordination. I’m not great at planning this kind of thing so a moment inevitably arrives when I think, Why is this so difficult? That’s usually when my wife or one of our sisters-in-law sorts it all out with what seems like a simple flick of the wrist.
It makes me wonder, Why does it look so easy when they do it and feel so difficult when I try? It doesn’t matter if it’s birthday month or some other event, but whenever I’m out of my element in ways like this, I’m reminded that I was not made to do every kind of task. God made me for the good works he prepared for me (Ephesians 2:10). He has custom-made good works just for you to do as well.
Sometimes it takes the busyness of a special event, the pause of a vacation, or even the full stop of an illness to begin considering that we may be doing good things God has prepared for someone else. After all, every birthday should remind us that our days are limited and the time God gives us is precious. I think Moses might have written Psalm 90 in a time of reflection like this.
After honestly assessing our limited time on earth and emphasizing the irresistibly powerful jus-tice of God, the psalmist concludes with this prayer (Psalm 90:12-17):
12 So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!
Verses 16-17 have been posted on the wall in my office at the church building since shortly after I began my internship in September 2019. However, it is verses 12-15 that have, more and more, become the foundation of my thinking about wanting to experience the words of verses 16-17. We get to learn (v12) near God (v13) that his love satisfies us (v14) with his joy (v15). As this happens, God shows us his powerful work (v16) which makes our work worthwhile (v17). The work is worthwhile because he custom-made it for us — for me and for you.
Here’s your challenge, Central family:
Try praying Psalm 90 to our God. He can lovingly “teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” and he can “establish the work of our hands” — the custom-made good works he prepared for each of us.
