For many years now, I've been accused of being a fanatic with a calculator. It all started one day when I was having my morning quiet time and came across these words:

"Our lifetime is seventy years or, if we are strong, eighty years. But the years are full of hard work and pain. They pass quickly, and then we are gone. Who knows the full power of your anger? Your anger is as great as our fear of you should be. Teach us to number our days so that we may be wise. Lord our God, treat us well. Give us success in what we do; yes, give us success in what we do" (Psalm 90:10-12,17).

"Teach us to number our days..." Those words jumped off the page at me. Our days are truly numbered. Moses lived to be 120 years old. In this great psalm, uttered most certainly toward the end of his life, he was reflecting on the brevity of life and how important it was to use our limited days wisely.

I thought of an interview I'd seen on television. A group of octogenarians (people in their 80s) were asked what the most important lesson they'd learned about life was. To a person, they all yelled out, "How short it is!"

Moses felt the same way. Though he had already lived longer than most people of his time and had fulfilled God's calling on his life, the cry of his heart remained, "Teach me to number my days that I might be wise."

I pulled out my calculator. If I lived out my lifetime, how many days might there actually be? Taking into account the life spans of my parents and grandparents, and using other related factors, I surmised that I could realistically live to be eight-five years old.  My life span could be from 1953 to 2038. Then I figured out the number of days: Roughly 31,046 (counting leap-years).

Next I figured out how many days I had already lived. At that point in my life, there were 17,804 left. Over half of my life was ahead of me. Getting caught up in this, I calculated a few other possibilities:

- My days as a Christian on earth--25,936 (or 71 years).
- Days of marriage--22,651 or 62 years. (Shirley smiled when I showed this to her.)
- Number of descendants we would produce--15,000 or so (what potential to bless the world).

Then I decided to do something radical. In order to literally "number my days," I began to record in my daily journal the number of days that I had lived and the number of days I might have left.

As I write this today many years later, those figures stand at: 20, 217 days lived, 10, 684 possible days left. Numbered and counting (faster each year).

This simple revelation from Psalm 90 greatly changed my life and ministry. Though I realized I could easily be wrong on the actual length of my life, the concept of numbering my days helped me make wise decisions. When your days are numbered, you want to make each one count.

It also brings to mind that famous saying: "One small life will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last."

One of the great problems of our day is the narrow, short-term, escape-oriented perspective that many Christians have on their lives. This is primarily due to the saturation of "end times" teaching that has blanketed the Church for years. We've been told that the Apocalypse is before us, or that Jesus is coming soon, or the Tribulation will be here any day.

Because of this last days emphasis, many believers are schizophrenic regarding long-range vision for their lives. In their practical, everyday world, they're been taught to plan for retirement, set aside money to pay for their children's education, and bank enough extra cash to cover emergencies. Many look forward to receiving Social Security checks. In their spiritual lives, it's just the opposite. They live for today and wait for Jesus to return.

We need to balance end-time readiness with long-range planning. Every spring when we plant a garden behind our house, I think of this. When you plant a garden, all you have to start with is dirt. But you can envision the end results: lush cucumbers, rows of bushy carrot tops, and corn stalks swaying in the wind.

Before that becomes a reality, the soil needs to be tilled and enriched. Seeds need to be sowed. The garden needs weeding, watering, and sunlight.

Our lives are like a garden. If we don't expect the garden to grow, we will neglect to nourish it. If we don't have long-term vision, we won't sow the seeds today that will bring the rich harvest tomorrow.

If we are to be the people God designed us to be, then we've got to set our goals high. Someone once said, "Most people aim at nothing and hit it."

When my dad was teaching me to play golf, he used to say, "Never up, never in."  Being an amateur at the game, I ignored his advice. I usually putted the ball short of the hole. The same is true of the game of life. If we don't set our sights high, then most assuredly we will settle for something less than our best.

In order for your spiritual dreams to come true, you must have the desire to go the distance. This is where the numbering of your days takes on exciting dimensions. How many years might you expect to live if Jesus doesn't return soon? What things does He want you to accomplish during those years? What do you need to do right now in order to accomplish them?

When the revelation of Psalm 90 sank deeply into my soul, I sat down and listed some lifetime goals in the areas of devotion, ministry, evangelism, writing, and other projects. I committed myself anew to my wife and children and the descendants who would come from us. Those commitments are now prayerfully stored in a heart that desires to fulfill God's will.

Now it's your turn. Get out your calculator.  Number your days. Aim high and shoot long.

Then begin planting those seeds.