JANUARY 1,Psalm 90:10-12

Blessed New Year to you! It is always wonderful to start the New Year with a lesson from the Bible and today we will read three verses from Psalm 90. Moses was the one who wrote this Psalm and he wrote it during the 40 years the Israelites were in the Sinai Wilderness. This was the time between their leaving Egypt and arriving at the Promised Land. During this period, Moses led about 2 million Israelites as they wandered through the desolate landscape of the wilderness. It was a very tough time. It was a time when many Israelites died. And these words do not seem like the usual happy messages one may read of on the first day of the year!

But these are words of wisdom. Moses reminds us that life is short, we must trust in God. The “days of our years are threescore years and ten” means that the average lifespan of a typical person is about 70 years. It may be longer in Singapore and many other parts of the world, but not much longer.

As we start the New Year, it is wise to remind ourselves that we are to number our days (verse 12). What does that mean? It is NOT to literally count the days in a week or month as we progress through the year. It is to live a life that will please God in terms of obeying Him. It is to be a wise child. It is not to continue making the mistakes you made last year. It is to apologise for any wrongs which you have committed last year. It is to be kinder to your classmates, more grateful to your parents and more giving to your siblings or friends. In short, it is to apply our hearts unto wisdom (verse 12b).

Thought: Start the year right. Start the year with God!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me another year. As I start this year, may I be given the wisdom to live a godly life for You. Please grant me strength and endurance, for I know I am weak, but You are strong. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.