It has been said that time is one of our most valuable commodities on this earth. Indeed, our time is precious. We cannot buy, earn, or store up more time. Even more, time is fleeting. Every day, time passes by more quickly than the day before. Because time cannot be earned or bought, we must take seriously how we spend each moment, especially when it comes to the time we allow for the children in our lives.
Moses, the author of Psalm 90, understood how fleeting time is, and He wrote about it in this passage of Scripture. In this Psalm, He wrote, "Teach us to realize the brevity of life" (verse 12). Amidst all of our plans and obligations, we often forget just how precious and fleeting our time is. We need to be reminded that life is short. Understanding that life is short compels us to prioritize what matters most. After all, when we understand how valuable our time is, we treat it as valuable. We understand that every moment we have is precious, and we do not want to waste a second. We spend our time doing what matters most to us and is the most important.
One of the most important things that we can do with our limited time is spending time with the children in our lives. Every second we spend with the children in our lives is an investment in them. Each moment with our children is an opportunity to model what it looks like to follow Jesus. When we spend time with them, they share with us what is happening in their lives, ask hard, important questions, and even seek advice. We will never regret investing our precious time in the even more precious children in our lives.
Who are the children whom God has placed in your life? Make no mistake: you have a great influence on the lives of these children, whether they are your sons or daughters, grandchildren, or nieces or nephews. Will you commit your limited and valuable time to teaching and guiding them?
Follow Moses's example and pray the prayer He prayed to God in Psalm 90:12. Ask God to teach you to number your days, specifically as you think about raising the children in your life. Ask Him to give you wisdom to understand how to use your precious time to honor Him by loving and raising the children in your life well.
1Lord, through all the generations
you have been our home!
2 Before the mountains were born,
before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
from beginning to end, you are God.
3 You turn people back to dust, saying,
“Return to dust, you mortals!”
4 For you, a thousand years are as a passing day,
as brief as a few night hours.
5 You sweep people away like dreams that disappear.
They are like grass that springs up in the morning.
6 In the morning it blooms and flourishes,
but by evening it is dry and withered.
7 We wither beneath your anger;
we are overwhelmed by your fury.
8 You spread out our sins before you—
our secret sins—and you see them all.
9 We live our lives beneath your wrath,
ending our years with a groan.
10 Seventy years are given to us!
Some even live to eighty.
But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble;
soon they disappear, and we fly away.
11 Who can comprehend the power of your anger?
Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve.
12 Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
so that we may grow in wisdom.
13 O Lord, come back to us!
How long will you delay?
Take pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love,
so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.
15 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery!
Replace the evil years with good.
16 Let us, your servants, see you work again;
let our children see your glory.
17 And may the Lord our God show us his approval
and make our efforts successful.
Yes, make our efforts successful!
