198. OH TEACH ME TO NUMBER MY DAYS

(The Information & Edification Series – Batch 4)

Having recently removed four (4) of my wisdom teeth through surgery in preparation for orthodontic work, I spent the next few days trying to recuperate, although I am advised that it takes about two or so months for complete healing. The procedure was done five (5) days ago and although I have seen some improvement (like reduction in face swelling), I realized that my body was dealing with extreme fatigue and weakness.

I did some research on it and found that even days into the healing process, the body will pull energy from where it can find it, all in its bid to heal the area. That explains how I’ve been feeling, I guess.

Today therefore, feeling weak and exhausted in the height of the evening, I decided to take a quick nap at around 3.00 p.m., which turned into more like two hours.

Somehow, I think that the antibiotics I am taking is also contributing to how I am feeling and may be responsible for some of the strange sort of dreams I’ve been having lately. For example, I woke up a short while ago after having a weird sort of dream, where all sorts of weird things had happened, like me being in another country (the United Kingdom) and completing some forms to commence studies and a cousin having been invited by the family for lunch the next day and me asking him to buy some ice cream for the event and me learning of a lady (whose picture I had randomly looked at on Facebook before going to bed), had died. Of course, when I woke up, I realized she had not and I was so grateful, as there was still an opportunity for her to hear the gospel and to be saved.

One thing is noteworthy though. I woke up from my dream this evening with a song deep in my spirit and humming the following:

  • There is life for a look at the crucified one
  • There is life at this moment for thee
  • Oh look sinner look, at the crucified one
  • There is life at this moment for thee.

When I think on the events that transpired in my dream, in addition to the song in my spirit, the following realities were impressed upon my mind in the immediate aftermath:

Reality 1

The people around my time, like siblings, cousins, parents, uncles and aunts, had ‘spent’ their time. That is, we are pretty much at a point where the curtains are getting ready to come down. On average, we are all pushing close to 40 and over. The days of starting out and youth and being in our teens or twenties are over and we are on our way out of this land.

Reality 2

In light of this, it is high time to awake out of sleep. It is high time to focus on what is important and to let go of all the distractions and petty things of life.

Reality 3

When I feel tired and overwhelmed by life, partly because there are so many lies around and apostasy and a compromising of the standards and much of Christianity today is generally characterized by a looseness where anything goes and everybody is accepted and not many so-called believers seem to care or see what is happening and I feel incredibly lonely, even as I battle within with my own flesh which wants its own way, I must think of that time when all this will be over, when the world would have been brought to an end, where all of us would have been raised from the dead and standing before the Lord’s Judgment seat.

This puts everything into proper context and perspective. For, then, as we all stand before him, all the fuss and issues we focused on in life and what we made it, would be irrelevant. Each one will be concerned only for his soul.

In that moment, it is only what we did for Christ and if we lived for him (something frowned on today by many), that will matter. Everyone would wish then that they had lived for him, that they had embraced truth and never let it go. No one would be looking over the shoulder at another or to say, “Look at that person there! I know him or her!” or to monitor someone else’s business or to hold a vendetta against this one or that, as we ALL stand in solemnity and fear and wait our turn.

Whether we were liked by so-and-so while on earth, will be irrelevant. Whether we were fighting with so-and-so while on earth, over land, over money, over a guy, a promotion, popularity or anything else, will be irrelevant. We will dismiss it all as foolishness because that is what it was and see how unimportant those issues were in the light of eternity. Whether we were ridiculed, thought to be nothing much or greatly admired by others and influential, while on earth, will be irrelevant. Whether we ever got married and had children or remained single and suffered the criticism, down-putting, scorn or condemnation of others as a result, ALL of it will be IRRELEVANT in that day.

May these sobering truths fill me afresh with vigour, to run the race, to fight the fight of faith and not to ever let go of Christ. May it cause me to crucify all of this world’s allures, lusts, intoxications and passions, so that I may focus solely on the name and cause of Jesus Christ. For,“…it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). “For we must ALL appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

In Psalm 90:1-12, Moses prayed and it is still relevant to us today:

  • “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
  • Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth. For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
  • The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
  • SO TEACH US TO NUMBER OUR DAYS, THAT WE MAY APPLY OUR HEARTS UNTO WISDOM.”

(Written on 11th October, 2021)

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