Hi, Pastor Bob here. Welcome back to the Men of Valor and Daily Living podcast. The verse for today is from the book of Psalms chapter 90 verse 12. And it states, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

"Do you live your Christian life like you have a shot clock with your days being numbered to do God's will with your life?"

Something drastically changed the game of basketball in 1954. No, it wasn't that you could now dunk the ball. 1954 was the year the shot clock was introduced. Prior to that, if a very poor scoring team was playing a very good scoring team, the poor scoring team would just dribble or pass the ball and hardly ever shared it. You could have games ending with scores like 6 to 8, but once the shot clock was introduced, the team had to shoot the ball within 30 seconds - or the other team got the ball. Now in many games, both teams score over a hundred points!

"‘The ball is in your court’ - to use the power God has given you, or to not use it."

Without the time clock, not only was the game boring, nothing was accomplished. The opposing team didn't score, but neither did you. So my question for you is this: Do you live your Christian life like you have a shot clock with your days being numbered to do God's will with your life? Or do you just dribble through life, taking everything day by day, and just live a lukewarm life - and your prayers for your future pretty much amount to, ‘Lord give me a painless death’? How do you react when an opportunity comes up to build the kingdom, share the Word of God, do something for God? Do you say, ‘God, give me the ball! I'll shoot it! I'll score with Your guidance’? Or, do you immediately pass the ball to someone else, and then when they get it, you watch them do God's will and score and win the game - and they become His good and faithful servant?

I hope you realize your days are numbered. Right now, think: What if my shot clock of life ran out at 12:00 AM on my next birthday? Would I be dribbling through life, perhaps like I did since my last birthday? Or would I give Him my life to score for the Lord with all of my numbered days? When the game ending buzzer of your life goes off, will you hear as described in Matthew 25, ‘What have you done with what I gave you, you wicked and lazy servant?’ Or will you hear, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’ I pray that those latter words are the ones you will hear - but as the saying goes, ‘The ball is in your court’ - to use the power God has given you, or to not use it. What an amazing God we serve. God bless you.