TEXT: PSALM 90:10-12 #2804 NEW YEAR'S EVETHEME: "LORD, TEACH US TO NUMBER OUR DAYS ARIGHT" I. NUMBER THEDAYS THAT ARE PAST WITH THANKFULNESS. II. NUMBER THE DAYS THAT LIEAHEAD WITH WISDOM. Phoenix - 12/31/14My dear fellow redeemed,

Today is the last day of 2014, and my guess is that for some of us that hardly seemspossible. Doesn't it seem like it was just yesterday that we were in such a tizzy over Y2K,when all of the computer systems were supposed to crash, resulting in financial crises,airplanes plummeting from the sky, and general chaos all over the world? It doesn't seemthat it can be 14 years ago already that we began a new millennium, does it? Not to me itdoesn't. The older we get, the faster time seems to fly. When you're four or five years of age,time moves soooo sloooowly. Right now there are 359 more days until the next Christmas-an eternity for little children who have just finished opening this year's Christmas presents.But when you're 60,70,80 or more, a year seems like no time at all. For us "old-uns," anotherChristmas will be here before we know it.

At any rate, we have come to the end of2014 and are preparing to enter 2015. As we doso, I want to propose to you that we anticipate this new year with a prayer - a prayer usingthe words of Moses in these verses which are now before us, namely, "LORD, TEACH USTO NUMBER OUR DAYS ARIGHT." First, we should 1. NUMBER THE DAYS THATARE PAST WITH THANKFULNESS. And then also II. NUMBER THE DAYS THAT LIEAHEAD WITH WISDOM. I.

"Teach us to Dumber our days aright," Moses prayed here, v.12a. Maybe the first thingwe ought to do tonight is look back over the year that is now ending, and when we do, weshould NUMBER THOSE DAYS THAT ARE PAST WITH THANKFULNESS. It is saidthat Christopher Columbus kept a daily diary on his journey in search of the New World.That definitely wasn't an easy voyage for him. The men on his ships were on the verge ofmutiny. Many of them wanted to turn around. Yet every day the last entry he would write inhis log was this: "Today we moved westward!" In like manner, I hope you were able to writein your journal each day this past year: "Today I moved forward!" I know that for some ofyou this past year hasn't been an easy year. In fact, for some of you it's been a downrightdifficult and challenging year, hasn't it? Health problems, financial woes, strained personalrelationships - these might all have been a part of the days of2014. What Moses says herecan be applied by all of us: "The length of our days is seventy years - or eighty, if wehave the strength; yet their span is but trouble and SO"OW, for they quickly pass, and weOy away," v.lO. Yet, as you number those days of the past year, you should still do it withthankfulness.

You see, of those days that are past you should all be able to say: "I moved forward! Imoved forward in my spiritual life!" I don't know whether you can say that, but you allshould be able to say that. Just look at the year that is now ending. Our God graciously gaveeach of you 365 days with twenty-four hours in each one of them in which you could do asour Lord Jesus says, namely, "Search the Scriptures" - the Holy Bible which "is able tomake you wise for salvation thru faith in Christ Jesus. " 365 days to grow in the grace andknowledge of your Lord and Savior by studying His Word - to move forward in yourspiritual life. In addition, God also gave you 52 Sundays and ten other days on which youcould join your brothers and sisters here in church and listen to Him speak to you thru HisWord, again so that you might move forward in your spiritual life. Add to that the 28 timesour Lord invited you who are communicant members to attend His Holy Supper so that Hemight strengthen you in your saving faith, and you will see that you should indeed numberthe days that are past with thankfulness.

But there's something else too. Moses says here of our God, "Who knows the power ofyour anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you," v.l l. Here Moses

speaks of God's "anger" and His "wrath," and these are truths that we have also learned. Inthe Bible God speaks clearly of His anger and wrath over sin. "The soul who sins is the onewho will die, " He says. "The wages of sin is death. " To put it very simply, God hates sin,and He does have "the power" to punish sin in His anger over it. His wrath over sin is to befeared. He doesn't make idle threats to those who sin. And the bad news, my friends, is that'syou. Yeah, that's you. You can't look back at the days of this past year and deny that, canyou? You are ''the soul who has sinned" - sinned every day of every week of every month inthis past year .... sinned in your thoughts, your words, and your actions. The "wages" yoursins have earned you in this past year is "death." You should be struck down on the spot withdeath for your sins, and then followed up with eternal death and damnation in the everlastingtorments of hell. Yet in spite of this, you can number the days that are past with thankfulness.

You see, you are believers in Jesus - people who have been led by the Holy Spirit to trustin Jesus as your Savior from the curse of sin. The comfort you have is that "the blood ofJesus Christ, God's Son, purifies usfrom all sin, "because "God made Him who had no sinto be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" In Jesus, theBible says, "we have redemption thru His blood, theforgiveness of sins, in accordance withthe riches of God's grace that He lavished on us." This is why you can number the days thatare past with thankfulness. For Jesus' sake, God has forgiven all your sins - spared you fromHis anger and wrath, not only in 2014, but for all of eternity. For Jesus' sake, He continues toregard you as His own dear children in spite of your sins, because thru faith in Jesus He seesyour sins no more. He has "removed themfrom you asfor as the east isfrom the west, " theBible says. He has plunged them into the depths of the sea where even He can't retrievethem. For Jesus' sake, "He does not treat us as our sins deserve, " the Bible says, "or repayus according to our iniquities." That's the way it was in 2014, and that certainly issomething for which to be thankful, isn't it! II.

"Lord, teach us to number our days arigbt," we pray tonight as Moses did manycenturies ago, and as we do, we not only number the days of the past with thankfulness, butwe should also NUMBER THE DAYS THAT LIE AHEAD WITH WISDOM. "Teach us tonumber our days aright," Moses said, "that we may gain a heart of wisdom," v.12. "Aheart of wisdom - real wisdom. That's what we need. But what is that? Well, "Thefear ofthe Lord is the beginning of wisdom, " the Bible says, that is, living in awe of our Godbecause of who He is and because of what He has done for us and continues to do for us. It'shonoring what He tells us in His Word - joyfully doing what He says and striving to carryout His will in our daily living. It's living in obedience to Him, loving Him with all of Ourheart and soul and mind, and loving our neighbors as ourselves, striving to meet theresponsibilities God has given us as far as they are concerned. This is real wisdom - thewisdom with which we should number each day God wilJ graciously give us to number in thenew year of2015 that is lying before us.

This kind of wisdom is tremendously important as we continue to live in the sinful world.Life here on earth can be pretty scary sometimes, can't it? And at times our own fears caneasily overwhelm us too. There is an old legend that tells how one day Death was walkingtoward a certain city and a man stopped the Grim Reaper and asked him what he was goingto do in that city. "I'm going to kill 10,000 people," Death replied. The man responded withshock and horror, but Death insisted, "That's the way it is, and that's what I'm going to do."Several days passed, and this man again met the Grim Reaper, this time of his return tripfrom the city. "Hey," the man said, "you told me that you were going to kill 10,000 people,but I heard that 70,000 were killed." Death merely shrugged his shoulders. "I did only kill10,000," he said. "The others were killed by fear." It's true, isn't it? Fear is one of the mostbasic human emotions, one that we are all susceptible to as well.

In 2015, for example, the Republicans will control both the House and the Senate inCongress - some people fear that. In 2015, President Obama will still be in the White House

- some people fear that. If things keep going the way they are, insane terrorist groups willbring more death and destruction all over the world in 2015 - some people fear that. Rightnow the stock market is at its highest and gas prices are lower than they have been for years,but when is the bottom going to drop out of this rosy picture? Some people have their fearswhen they think about that. In the midst of all of these fears, however, our God says to youand me, "Be still! Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I willbe exalted in the earth. " In other words, "Don't forget that I'm in charge of the world," Godsays. "I'm in control here. You are my redeemed children, and you are always safe in myhands. Trust me!" That's wisdom - trusting God in the midst of all of the fearful and chaoticscenes of life. That's the wisdom with which we should number each new day God will giveus in 2015.

We have every reason to trust God, not only when it comes to global and national fears,but also when it comes to our own personal life and well-being. We can live with confidencebecause of the promises He has given us. No matter what challenge we may face in the newyear, our God says, "Do notfear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. " "Trustme!" God says. "Trust me!" "Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you."Again, "Trust me!" God says. "I will do this." That's wisdom. Maybe in this new year Deathwill also come knocking on our door. But we don't have to fear that either. You see, asbelievers in Jesus, people who trust in Him as our Savior from sin, death won't come to us asthe Grim Reaper, but rather as the limousine service that will chauffer us to our Savior'seternal home in the kingdom of heaven. "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, "Jesus has promised. "Trust in God; trust also in me," He says. "In my Father's house aremany rooms ....I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if 1 go and prepare a placefor you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. "That's His promise. Trust Him. That's real wisdom.

So, "Lord, teach us to number our days aright," we pray this evening. "Teach us to numberthe days that are past with thankfulness, and teach us to number the days that lie ahead withwisdom. In Jesus' name we ask this."

AMEN