Making the Most of the Time We Have
Psalm 90
Psalm 90:1-17 (HCSB)
1 Lord, You have been our refuge in every generation.
2 Before the mountains were born, before You gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, You are God.
3 You return mankind to the dust, saying, “Return, descendants of Adam.”
4 For in Your sight a thousand years are like yesterday that passes by, like a few hours of the night.
5 You end their lives; they sleep. They are like grass that grows in the morning—
6 in the morning it sprouts and grows; by evening it withers and dries up.
7 For we are consumed by Your anger; we are terrified by Your wrath.
8 You have set our unjust ways before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence.
9 For all our days ebb away under Your wrath; we end our years like a sigh.
10 Our lives last seventy years or, if we are strong, eighty years. Even the best of them are struggle and sorrow; indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away.
11 Who understands the power of Your anger? Your wrath matches the fear that is due You.
12 Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.
13 LORD—how long? Turn and have compassion on Your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with Your faithful love so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days.
15 Make us rejoice for as many days as You have humbled us, for as many years as we have seen adversity.
16 Let Your work be seen by Your servants, and Your splendor by their children.
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us; establish for us the work of our hands— establish the work of our hands!
This is the oldest Psalm, and it was the only one written by Moses. Psalm 90
is Moses’ prayer to God asking for wisdom to make the most of his time on earth. A key verse might be verse 12. “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
Moses lived to be 120 years old. It wasn’t until he was 80 years old, that God called him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. Moses knew the value of making the most of his time left on earth. Moses valued God more than the riches of Egypt.
Hebrews 11:24-26
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: …. Moses prays this prayer….” Lord, teach us to number our days…value our days…value the time we have left….”
Someone has illustrated time in this way. Suppose every day there was deposited in your bank account the amount of $86,400. There is this catch to it, what you don’t use during the day, you lose. There is no forwarding balance carried to the next day. Each day you begin with $86,400. What would you do with it? Go on a spending spree every day?
We are given 86,400 seconds each day. Once the day is up, it’s history. You can’t save it, it’s forever gone. It’s foolish to squander and waste $86,400, and it is much more foolish to squander and waste 86,400 seconds. Not everyone would agree. Many people would say, money is more important than time. Many would say wasting money is foolish, but wasting time doesn’t matter. How about if you were given just a few months to live? What amount of money would a person give to have more time to live?
The Bible says, “For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Mark 8:36-37
When the twin towers were engulfed in flames on September the 11th, money was not a major issue, the stock market was not a major issue. The major issue was time. Time meant everything. Time to get out of the building. Time to rescue as many as possible. When many were trapped and death was inevitable, then time to use a cell phone to say final words to loved ones.
Moses’ prayer is “God, teach us to make the most of our time remaining. Give us a heart of wisdom to do the right thing.”
We have a certain amount of time, so let us make the most of the time we have. How can we do that? How can we make the most of time when it seems we don’t have enough time? How can we make the most of time when it seems useless because our time is taken up by other things beyond our control?
To help us learn how to make the most of our time…. I want to give you 3 things that we must remember, and then there are 2 ways to make the most of your time.
1. Remember God is God, and We are Not. (vv. 1-2)
He is our sanctuary. God has been that for all generations. People foolishly waste their time seeking for security, when God alone is our security. He is our protection and stability. Mountains are a favorite vacation spot for a lot of folks. They are really impressive. Mountains give an impression of strength, stability and something that will last for a long time. In the Bible we know there will be a day when all the mountains will be removed from their place. In the last days men will run from the face of the Lord. They will run into the caves of mountains looking for protection.
In Psalm 90:2
2 Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the whole world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
We read that God was before the mountains. He created the mountains. True security is in God. God is more stable than a mountain. He will never change.
One evening I saw on the news about a man in Sparta, TN who was cutting the grass with a riding mower. Suddenly, he along with the mower took about a 15-foot drop. A sink hole suddenly appeared. There was water up to his head. He screamed for help, and thankfully neighbors helped to get him out of the hole. The ground we stand on is not that stable. We would be wise to find a place where the ground never shakes and gives way. God is our sanctuary. He is our dwelling place. To make most of our time here on earth, we would be wise to find God to be our dwelling place. Jesus is our Rock. And upon that rock even the gates of Hell cannot prevail against it.
2. Remember God is ETERNAL, and We are Not. (vv.3-6)
We will be turned to dust. (KJV “destruction”) Our bodies will be destroyed by decay. Our bodies are not eternal. Our earthly bodies have been decreed by God to return. Return to the ground from which it came. A thousand years is but yesterday in God’s mind. A thousand years is like a few hours in the night. A “watch in the night” is 4 hours. Night begins at 6pm. And morning begins at 6am. A total of 3 watches during the night.
2Peter 3:8 “But beloved be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”
God is not confined to time. He supersedes time. God is eternal.
According to v.5 we eventually are swept away like a flood. It reminds me of the recent tsunami. In a matter of seconds people were swept away out to sea. Our days are like a dream. We sleep and the dream is over. We are like grass that grows but soon it withers and is cut down.
APPLICATION: We can make the most of our days on earth, if we will keep in mind that we are not eternal. We are not here forever. We have an expiration date. When that time comes, there’s nothing you can do to prolong it. You can’t dodge it. You can’t escape it. One day we will be cut down. One day we will wither away. The Bible says, It’s appointed unto man once to die and then the judgment…” The old gospel songs says,
Life’s sinking sun, is sinking low…. A few more days, and I must go…God is ETERNAL, AND WE’RE NOT…. MAKE THE MOST OF THE DAYS WE HAVE.
3. Remember God is Holy, and We are not. (vv.7-12)
V.7 speaks of the judgment on all humanity because of sin. God’s anger and wrath on sin is the reason we die. God told Adam “in the day that you eat of the forbidden fruit…will be the day you will die” Adam began to die physically. The Bible says in Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
the wages of sin is death…. The Bible says be sure of this, your sins will find you out…..finds us in death…
V.8 There is no sin hidden from God. We are sinful opposed to God’s holiness.
V.9 NIV “All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.”
V.10 it doesn’t matter how strong you are, how positive you are, how determined you are…. because of sin we will die. God may give us 70 yrs. And if He gives more strength, we may reach beyond 80. There are more and more people living today to see even 100yrs old. Yet our days is of labor, and sorrow and soon we are cut off….we fly away.
V.11 We would make most of our time, if we would see that sin is the reason for all the sorrow, suffering, and death in the world. We are wasting our time if we try to explain away all of life’s curses. To make the most of our time, we should recognize that God is a Holy God. Our response should be to fear Him, that is reverence Him, Respect Him, Give Him the Respect and honor that Only He Deserves. Our days our spent foolishly if we ignore His Holiness.
V.12 We ask God to teach us to number our days. Teach us God to make the most of our days since we are only here for a brief time.
4. Since God is God, God is Eternal, and God is Holy, we must make the most of our Time for the rest of our lives….
(1) It must begin with a personal relationship with our Lord. (vv. 13-15)
V.13-14 we pray for His mercy. Where do you find God’s mercy? There’s one place. Jesus is our merciful, High Priest. In Christ we come to know the God of mercy. We come to know the God of all grace. Oh satisfy us early…that we may be glad all our days Time spent in this world will only bring grief and utter disappointment. People spend frivolous time on things that will perish. Time spent with Jesus will bring true satisfaction and gladness into our souls. In Christ we find mercy, grace, and true satisfaction.
Vv.15 God can make us glad. Chorus…He has made me glad, yes, he has made me glad…. Even though we will have days of sorrow…there will be sad days, there will be troublesome days, there will be discouraging days, but our God will give gladness to those who know His mercy. Where do you find mercy? At the foot of the Cross! In Jesus we find mercy! You say, it is too late for me…. I’ve spent up all my days…. I’ve nothing to give to God… Rememberthe thief on the cross…. “Remember me, Lord, when you come in your kingdom…” Jesus said, “today, shalt thou be with me in paradise.” A man was dying…and Jesus gave Him mercy. Jesus gave Him eternal life beyond the grave. A bad man dying for the wicked deeds. Yet, he found mercy, he found forgiveness. God gave him gladness down in his soul.
5. To make the most of our Time for the rest of our lives….
(1) We must have a personal relationship with our Lord.
(2) We must live for something big…something that will count for eternity.
Look at v.16 Thy work There is nothing bigger, or greater than God’s work!
Live for God’s Work! And also look at v.16 thy glory. Live for God’s glory!
Many people are living only for their own glory. What a waste! There is nothing bigger, nothing greater than God’s glory!
· Nothing bigger than God’s work
· Nothing bigger than God’s glory
· Nothing bigger than God’s approval. (See v.17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us) beauty of the Lord = God’s approval, delight, favor You might get a favorable approval from people, but that comes and goes. The main thing…is your life approved of God. Live for HIS APPROVAL.
Live for something big! There is nothing bigger than God’s Work……
If we will line up with God’s work…. get on with what God is doing…. then His work…will also be our work. (See v.17 establish the work of our hands upon us….)
Life is so meaningless…when we live only for our work, or for our glory, seeking the approval of others….
To make the most of your time………. Live for God! For God’s glory…for God’s approval…. let His work become your work!!!!
Luke 12:16-21
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, what shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
What about you? Are you making the most of your time for the Lord?
