Are you frazzled by this Christmas season? For many of us, the Christmas season isn’t joyous—it’s hectic. People often try to get so much done, they can’t enjoy the season at all! By the way, it’s not just the Christmas season—it’s every season!  For my family in years past, we had to get to every event at church; we had to keep our kids in all of the sports they wanted to play; we had to teach this, attend that, head up this committee, and take that class. There was just so much to do! Today, let’s stop for a few moments to consider the words of an ancient psalm by a man who knew what it was to be busy:

Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts. (Psalm 90:12 HCSB)

By the way, this isn’t one of David’s psalms, it’s the prayer of Moses. Now, Moses was a guy with a lot to do! When you read this passage, what do you think it means? I have always thought of it in terms of how short life is. We only have a certain number of days allotted to us before we die, so we must make the most of them. The challenge for me is to push harder to get even more stuff done! Recently however, I have begun to think of this passage in a different way: with only 24 hours in a day, I should use my waking hours wisely. Like Moses, we should be asking God to help us, each day, to arrange our activities and commitments in ways that will leave us the time we need to hear and receive wisdom that only comes from God. Proverbs 2:6 tells us, “It is the Lord who gives wisdom; from Him come knowledge and understanding.” When I try to accomplish too many things in a day, it leaves me unavailable to hear from God. So what about you today? Are you caught up in a Christmas rush? Are you too busy to hear from God?

Set aside time this week for being with Him. Number your days carefully and look to Him for knowledge and understanding. When you do, you’ll gain wisdom not only for this Christmas season, but for life!