Learning to Number Our Days
Pastor Tan Thai
This sermon, based on Psalm 90:12, encourages believers to learn to number their days to recognize the brevity of life, acknowledge God's sovereignty, and gain wisdom. Moses writes that even if human life extends to 70 or 80 years, it is filled with toil and sorrow. Through numbering our days, we learn that only God is Master of our lives, not ourselves.
The opening section presents the main topic: Learning to Number Our Days, based on Moses' prayer in Psalm 90:12-15. The pastor emphasizes that if such an accomplished leader as Moses asked God to teach him to number his days in order to gain wisdom, then believers should do so as well, especially in the present time. The sermon is divided into three main parts: numbering our days to remember the brevity of life, numbering our days to remember that God is Master of our lives, and numbering our days to gain wisdom.
The second section develops the theological argument concerning the shortness and limitations of human life. The pastor uses real historical events such as September 11, 2001, and the COVID-19 pandemic to illustrate that the future does not rest in human hands. Through Scripture passages from Job 7:7, Job 14:1-2, Psalm 144:4, and James 4:13-14, the pastor shows that human life is like breath, like a passing shadow, like grass that withers. This realization is not intended to encourage pessimism but to foster correct understanding of the true value and meaning of life.
The third section emphasizes that the greatest distinction between believers and non-believers lies in the question: Who is Master of this life? The pastor identifies three main attitudes people take toward God: rejecting God's sovereignty, forgetting or ignoring God's sovereignty, and accepting and submitting to God's sovereignty. Those who ignore God live as if He does not exist in their plans and daily activities. The pastor warns that ignoring God is a particularly painful form of betrayal because God loves His people with infinite and profound love.
The fourth section applies the message to practical life by explaining that for God to be Master of our lives, we must develop an increasingly intimate and trusting relationship with Him. The pastor emphasizes that we are merely stewards of God's possessions, not owners. Through reading God's Word, faith, the testimony of other believers, and perceiving God's grace in our lives, we can gradually place our complete trust in Him. The pastor concludes that God's purpose is not chains binding us like slaves but freedom, hope, and abundant life that God desires to give to His sheep.