Wisdom is with aged men,
With long life is understanding (Job 12.12).
So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to You a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90.12).
(This is from the oldest Psalm in the Psalter written by perhaps the oldest writer of the Psalms, Moses.)
Dr Hal Habecker's Comments
I love the two Scriptures noted (Job 12.12 and Psalm 90.12). They characterize both our calling and also the desires in our elder years. We are pursuing wisdom and gaining perspective. At the same time we are totally dependent of God for both as He is the only one who can answer the cry of our heart. We want to use these aging years for His glory. Moses’ cry in Psalm 90.12 ought to be the vision of our heart every day in our aging years.
Commentary (ref www.BibleRef.com)
Considering God's righteous anger and wrath (Psalm 90:11), Moses provides an example of sensible prayer. He asks God for wisdom to account for our time. Time flies, life is uncertain, and God judges sin. It is important, therefore, to value the moments and days He has given us. We cannot know what tomorrow will bring (Proverbs 27:1), so we ought to dedicate today and every day to the Lord. We must live sensibly and with a purpose, yet do so one day at a time.
We should seek divine wisdom for the best way to live throughout each day. Our prayer in the morning should be what David prayed: "Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!" (Psalm 143:10). Jesus set a perfect example of morning prayer that we can emulate (Mark 1:35). Surely, if we considered every 24-hour period as something valuable God has entrusted to us, we would faithfully dispense our moments in ways that honor Him (1 Corinthians 4:2).