Thought for December 7

 History:

  • 1787: Delaware is first State to ratify the Constitution
  • 1934: Wiley Post discovers the jet stream
  • 1941: Pearl Harbor--A Day that will live in Infamy
  • 1957: Ordination of Omar Cabrera in Argentina. He will become internationally known evangelist and pastor of one of the largest churches in the world
  • 1963: First use of instant replay--Army/Navy football game
  • 1967: Otis Redding records "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay"
  • 1979: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" premiers
  • 1985: Bo Jackson wins the Heisman
  • 1995: The Grateful Dead break up
  • Born: Madame Tussaud, Eli Wallach, Ted Knight [Mary Tyler Moore Show], Ellen Burstyn, Harry Chapin, Johnny Bench, Larry Bird, Terrell Owens, Luke Donald
  • Died: Cicero, William Bligh [Bounty], Four Medal of Honor Recipients at Pearl Harbor, Mervyn Bennion, Hebert Jones, Thomas Reeves, Franklin Valkenburgh; Rube Goldberg, Thornton Wilder, Beatrix Loughran [3 time Olympic Gold in Figure Skating], Lee Roy Yarbrough [NASCAR], Harry Morgan [MASH. Dragnet]
Remember today those that gave their last full measure of devotion during our nation's wars. December 7 is one of those defining days in our history. 

Thought:
I am reading Psalm 90 today. Verse 12 says, "teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom." Most of you have probably seen "Dead Poets Society" about John Keating teaching at the boys school. He tells them "carpe diem" seize the day. You probably know that the author, Tom Schulman, was a teacher at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville and based the book on his time at MBA. 

Why does the psalmist tells us to number our days. He has told us that a 1000 years in the sight of the Lord is as a watch in the night [90:4]. Why number our days? To me this says, Larry, the Lord has given you this day, this hour, this minute, this breath---how are you going to use it, invest it, spend it. A moment is the currency of life. We can choose to use it for His glory and our good, or we can choose to waste it or spend it on trivial matters. When I practiced law, we had to keep track of our time in tenths of an hour--create billable hours. So I had to account for every 6 minutes of my day. Was I being productive or was I wasting time. 

Psalm 90 reminds me that we do not know how much time we have--a day, a week, a year. It makes me understand that I am to account for my time. How did I use it? I watch myself and others pick up their "smart" phones and spend hours looking at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok. I sit before a television and watch reruns. I go to a movie and watch trite dialogue with lots of explosions. And I watch sports played by teams and people that I really don't care about. And then I read, Larry number your days. 

But wait, the writer asks Lord, teach us how to number our days so that we will have hearts filled with wisdom. So if the Lord is my teacher, how did He number His days---prayer, scripture, reading, meditating, sharing, evangelism, relationships, service, caring. Maybe there is wisdom in doing what He did. 

Today, Lord, examine my calendar, guide me in ways that will let my days and moments lead to wisdom, for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. 

Blessings
Larry

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