Our lives generally have many 1,000’s of days along with a few major milestones. Many of us focus on these milestones. Some of these may be related to career, education, financial freedom, health, spiritual growth etc.
A 20 year old may have over 7,000 days and perhaps 10 major events. While a 40 year old may have 15,000 days and perhaps 20 key events at that point of time.
Are the few given greater importance? Do we give enough importance to the daily routine of thousands of days? Does what we do daily contribute to how we cross the milestone? Does our daily activity, daily discipline impact the fruitfulness of those few significant events?
Milestones we wait to cross
When we ponder on milestones of life, the thoughts and statements like these may flash through our minds.
When I finish school, I intend to ..
When I start college, I would…
After I start working, I will,
After I am married, I will start cooking….
After I get my driving license, I will drive my friends and family around…
After I pay off the debts, then I will, ….
After I retire, I will read the Bible daily, …
After I receive a salary increase, I will start saving…
After I have an encounter with God, I will start praying more….
After I start seeing miracles, I will spend time regularly with God,…
After I get a prophetic word, I will start investing time into prayer life,…
After I retire, I will start walking daily,…
We would have either voiced these thoughts ourselves or heard similar thoughts from our family or friends.
Wisdom of numbering
Many go through their daily routine, the regular life without much thought, without much expectation. They may not have the perspective required. Often no importance is given. As these days are innumerable, many people ignore the importance and significance of these typically many days, as their awareness is wholesome.
The excitement for the day at hand, the moment in hand is less or totally lacking. Only a few people treasure the ordinary day at hand.
Often many consider only their upcoming milestone, i.e. events coming up years later. Since it’s not intentional thinking, people literally waste away the present day, the hour at hand, taking the the hour for granted, neither using the hour, nor valuing or even honoring the moments or the day we have now, when it’s called today.
Many forget that if they live to 100 years, they have only less than 37,000 days.
Many forget that they may have only 30,000 days if they live to 80 years.
Many may not realize that if they are 50 already, they have already spent 19,000 of those days. They don’t realize that if they are 35 years, 13,000 of their days are already over! Only what’s remaining is available.
Some of us may even live like Moses, being 120 years old, fit and strong like him. Yet it is good to remember that the number of days we have is limited and numbered.
The psalmist conveys this very well:
So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12 NKJV)
When we remember that we have only a limited number of days to live, we become careful and purposeful in living our days.
A wise man will plan and consider the most significant things which matter. Being aware of this, a wise man will be careful and avoid all wasteful pursuits, squabbles, etc.
Apostle Paul put this succinctly in his Epistle to the Ephesians. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:15 NKJV)
Daily Routine – a Powerful Secret Hidden
We know that building muscles does not happen with a good diet and weight lifting for a few days before the wedding day. It takes months and often years for the best results. Only years of cardio exercise, weightlifting etc. along with a regular nutritious diet can result in a great physique for the marriage day.
Only continuing the fitness and daily regimen even beyond the marriage ensures one stays healthy. All this can bring abundant joy and great peace, a great success .
An absence of a daily discipline routine can result in health issues which can perhaps even result in a quicker crossing the milestone of death.
We know that good silky hair which many to-be brides may desire, does not come in with a session at the hairdresser. Women know that it’s years of nurturing the scalp, good diet, applying coconut oil and egg white every weekend even when they were school girls that finally result in rich silky hair when they become brides!
Unlike the temporary look after a session with the hair salon, which disappears soon after a wash, the nurtured hair over years retains goodness for a lifetime. It does not disappear after the wedding day. This remains as a crown of glory all the days following the wedding.
A daily discipline of reading the Bible, meditating it, speaking it, obeying it transforms us. We start thinking about matters from the Lord’s perspective. Then like Lord Jesus, we can start to heal the sick, open the eyes of the blind, heal the lame so they walk, give hope to the hopeless and so on.
For believing in Lord Jesus, we require to remove every unbelief, instead fill ourselves with the Word of God, speak it, hear it and meditate on it.
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. ( Romans 10:17 NKJV)
When we read the Bible daily, obey it and think about it, we start believing, we increase in our faith.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. ( John 14:12 NKJV)
Being ever ready matters
People generally do not know the number of days they have. So those who are wise prepare for a long haul and are not shocked in case it’s a short haul. Being prepared ensures that nothing surprises.
As they daily do things which matter consistently, the blessings of the Lord abide with them.
Here we see a man who meditates on the law of God day and night and does not walk, nor stand or sit, avoiding people who have some nature that is blessed. For being eligible for this blessing one needs to choose a specific lifestyle daily – not when one feels, not once in a while. This needs to be consistent and daily.
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2 NKJV)
In the chapter1, verse 8 Joshua, we have this mentioned again. Here we are asked to speak the Book of Law, obey it as well as meditate on it daily for good success.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.(Joshua 1:8 NKJV)
So if we need to be the Lord’s vessel, the Lord’s chosen instrument, we need to have a daily routine of prayer, reading the Bible and the weekly fellowship at the local church.
These are not to be left to be the dictates of our emotions, our convenience, or any other rhyme reason or excuse.
