Psalm 90:12 Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
This is a great little prayer at the end of a section in Psalm 90 which talks about our short time here on earth. Now, as hockey players (especially young hockey players), we don't often think about the "end". When we are healthy, strong, and on top of our game, we are not thinking about the future when our bodies will start giving out. But, that day will eventually come. Even more than that, the final day of our lives will eventually come. Now, it's hard to think about our ending and it's definitely not always healthy to think about it too much! But, it is good to think about how short our time is on this earth.
This little verse reminds us (even as big strong hockey players) of the truth that we are not GOD. We are mortal. We don't live forever. It reminds us we rely on something outside of ourselves for our eternal salvation. This salvation is only found in the One True Savior, Jesus Christ. In the end, we will not need a great teacher, a great friend, or a spiritual guide. We will need a Savior. When we live in light of the fact that there will be an end, the saving work of Christ on the cross for us shines like a light in the darkness.
Even more than this, Psalm 90:12 goes on to say that thinking about the "number of our days" will lead to a heart of wisdom. When we know our time is short and our life is only temporary, it makes us wise to how we use that time to the Glory of God. We can't waste it! If we either ignore our frailness or try to be our own savior's, we end up living a life and making decisions in this life that might not always be the wisest.
We conclude with this closing verse....
Psalm 103:15-16 The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.