and complete dependence upon the Lord for all needed help this evening. I wish to direct your very prayerful attention to Psalm 90, Psalm 90, by way of text, verse 12, but I'll read from verse 9, that we may ascertain the immediate sense of what Moses is saying.

For all our days are passed away in thy wrath
We spend our years as a tale that is told
The days of our years are threescore years and ten
And if by reason of strength they be fourscore years
Yet is their strength labour and sorrow
For it is soon cut off and we fly away
Who knoweth the power of thine anger?
Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

There's been a great deal of excitement over the last week, not only in the press, but amongst men in general, in considering events in Venezuela and Greenland. Now, I make that statement not to make political points. As you know, I am not in favor of preaching politics in any way. I mention it for this reason. These events occur, things come upon us. And what is our first thought? Well, in the words of the late Principal Charles Breed, when faced with any question, when faced with any issue, we think theologically. Any question, anything that comes upon our way, we think theologically. And every matter, every issue, nationally, internationally, or personally, is for one reason. A trial of faith for God's elect. For what does the Word say? For we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. That's the situation. All is well with the child of God. If God before us, who can be against us? That's the reality of the situation.

And so, here we read, very deliberately, from Numbers and chapter 14, because that expresses the events of the historical context, really, of Psalm 90. Many of the Psalms we know were written by David. Quite a number of Psalms are unknown in terms of who their author was, but here the title tells us that this is a prayer by Moses, the man of God. And as we enter 2026, a new year, We knew not what was before us in the old year, but the Lord has preserved us. The Lord has brought us through. We know not what is before us yet, but we have these words of instruction from Moses. And what was in his mind here? Well, he's expressing that note of praise and It's my personal view that every service really should commence in public worship with a hymn of objective praise. That's the theological pattern really that we have in the New Testament. We're not here primarily for ourselves, we're here to worship the Lord. We also look to receive a blessing, but primarily we come to worship the Almighty. And there's an acknowledgement here. It's a prayer of gratitude. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. And for those of you here who are familiar with the Dutch Psalter, you read hymn 245, there's a good psalm actually upon this particular psalm 245 in the Psalter, in the Dutch Psalter.

and here we can see that he's expressing here the eternal nature of the Lord and this is the reality we have set before us we know the human mind cannot grasp the concept of eternity but it's here before the mountains were brought forth or ever thou hast formed the earth And the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. And so, His will is everlasting. His works are everlasting. Here we can see the Eternal Father, the Eternal Spirit, and of course the Eternal Son. He is set before us in this second verse.

And so, what is in Moses' mind here, thou turnest man to destruction, is this very principle, remember? In the Antediluvian period, that is the period before the flood, men lived seven, eight, nine hundred, almost a thousand years in many cases. You can read it for yourselves. But simply because of sin, that's the reason, because of sin, The Lord said, I have had enough of these long livers. And thus, here in the days of Moses, three score years and ten. That's what he sets before men.

And so, in expressing this, in the background there, you've seen it and we've read it for ourselves. It's the situation of the spies being sent out. into the promised land ten of them come back with an evil report and so as a consequence there were the two of course that said no no the land is good the land is good this is a land flowing milk and honey which of course is a phrase now set firmly in the English language if we speak of a place that is wealthy perhaps or a place which has much fruitfulness we'll see it's a land filled with milk and honey and so only two of that generation would live to see the land and here Moses offers up this prayer in such a situation thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations now

Now, he brings it down from the national and we are reminded there. What does he say? So many things actually in that chapter in the context about the glory of the Lord filling the world. We can see that this has taken place. This has taken place. The Lord has his people in every kindred, nation, tribe and tongue. There's no national covenants and this is the other aspect we must remember. Not just in our own in national events but in our personal event there's no national covenants there is but one covenant the covenant of grace and therefore Moses makes this deeply personal he speaks to you and he speaks to me when he says so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

And so, as we consider the year that's gone past, it's very good to consider what has the Lord taught us? What has the Lord taught us? What's He doing with us? You know, I can't agree with many of the obituaries we read in the Gospel Standard wherein we read of a man entering chapel He speaks of having a blessing. He goes out and it's 20 years before he speaks of having another good hearing. Dear soul, what is the Lord doing with us? He's building us up in our most holy faith. We need grace for every day. Every day. Repentance and faith. That's not a once in a lifetime experience, is it? As the hymn writer says, daily I repent of sin. and daily come to thee.

We are in need of fresh grace every day and I'm not dismissing the obituaries, some of them are very good, but we have to be wary of what we're reading when men say things like that. The Lord is dealing with his people constantly. We're not those who would say that the children of God cannot backslide, of course they can and they do. But the Lord brings them back. This is the whole point. There is an exercise of mind and an exercise of heart. Is the Lord dealing with us? Or are we just drifting along? It's drifting along. It's an awful thing, you know, to come in and out of chapel unexercised, unaffected. I know I say it a lot, but I say it once again here before you tonight. There's nothing we should fear more than religion without Christ. It's awful. That's the difference between the scribes and Pharisees and the failing disciples. The disciples have got a lot wrong. We get a lot wrong. But they had grace. The scribes and Pharisees had all the answers, but no grace.

here we desire us of grace and if the Lord is dealing with us then this is a principle in which we become well acquainted. Teach us to number our days. Now in the literal sense and Moses isn't speaking in the literal sense here but there is a teaching in the expression that he's using days. He doesn't speak of men in terms of years. He doesn't speak of men in terms of months. He speaks of his days being as years, not days, not months, not weeks, but days. And that puts it into perspective. That's what Moses is setting up before us, is a perspective.

Now, I worked out my number of days upon this earth to the present day are 15,553. And I'm a middle-aged man. It's not many. It's not many. Some of you have known me since I've been in teenage years. It's not many. And so, he's setting before us a perspective to take to heart.

But the text begins, it's not actually that often I take a single text, but of course in the English language we shouldn't be dismissive of the fact that the sentence begins with so, because of course in the original there were no chapters, there were no numbers. what Moses is setting before us is a crescendo. He's summing up all that's been said really from verse 9 and before. He's speaking of the fact that life is short, but worldly men say that life is short. Worldly men know that life is short. But there's a divine teaching in respect of the brevity of life. The brevity of life. The brevity of life against the eternal day.

Now how often have we heard it? Those of us that have relatives who have some vague connection with the chapel, as I have, will say, oh well, I'll consider these things when I'm old. I'll consider these things when I've had my fill of this world. Well, My answer to those people, my answer to my own relatives is this. Many people don't see a deathbed. What does the hymn writer say? Should sudden vengeance seize my breath, I must pronounce thee just in death, and if my soul were sent to hell, thy righteous law approves it well. That's the same for all of us, but men go on with an expectancy that they'll live forever.

Psalm 20 expresses this in very stark terms. It's a timeless statement. This is the thing that's so wonderful, isn't it, about the Scripture. When we read of these things, when we see and we hear and we know of The way that men continue. The way that men carry on. Even to the point where they leave their goods. They call their lands after their name. And they expect to live in perpetuality. But they won't. And they don't.

I beg your pardon, friends. I should have said Psalm 49. It's Psalm 49. There we see, for he seeth that the wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought is, this is their inward thought, that their houses shall continue forever and their dwelling places to all generations. They call their lands after their own names. We notice that, don't we? I remember once when our friend Michael Ridout came to preach at Hedgend on one occasion. He said, yes, when you've made your first million, the university's hopeful you'll give them a good donation and they'll name the building after you. That's completely. .. and he was speaking cynically as well. He's absolutely right. That's the heart of man. That's the heart of man. That's how he is. That's how he is.

But then we can see, can't we? Like sheep they are all laid in the grave, death shall feed on them, and so on. Verse 15, look, you always get the gospel. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for he shall receive me. And of course, that not only speaks of the psalmist in the immediate context, but of course it's all psalms speak of the Lord Jesus Christ and of that redeeming work in which the Father accepted the work of the Son. That's what's set before us there.

And so it comes down to this, doesn't it? So teach us to number our days. There's a teaching here. There's a teaching here. Divine teaching. divine teaching this is speaking of the work of the Holy Ghost that's what is promised if we have passed from death unto life we have the inward possession of the Spirit and the Spirit shall lead his people into all truth now you might say that this is an elementary truth you might say to me well surely we've got past this we know our lives are short do we? do we? it's something we have to be continually reminded of because human nature we're of the earth earthy as men we cling to life And so we believe that we have to take reasonable care to preserve life in this world.

But the reality is this, if we are the Lord's people we are strangers and pilgrims upon the earth. So teach us to number our days. What is that speaking of? Well, there's a few thoughts that we have upon this that are relevant. Firstly, as hymn 67, I believe, says, Sovereign ruler of the skies, ever gracious, ever wise, all my times are in thy hand and all events at thy command.

We might wonder what the Lord is doing with our lives. We might wonder at times, you're sat here in this chapel and I don't know the day you've had, some of you, Maybe all sorts of matters going through your mind. Be sure of this. The fact that you're in the city of Portsmouth. The fact that you are in the workplace you were in. The fact that you have come to this chapel tonight is by divine decree. Providence isn't just some abstract doctrine floating in the air. for theologians to speak on in colleges and academies. It is a experiential reality for the Lord's people. He is dealing with us, teaching us to number our days.

And so the other thought is this, that in numbering our days there is a redeeming the time for the days are evil to redeem the time of course is to buy up the opportunity as it says now some of you here know what you're looking for in terms of your hobbies the most obvious one would be an antiquarian book and some of us have been in this situation you walk into a bookstore Maybe an antiquarian bookstore, actually. And you see something on the shelf, and it's very obvious the character selling it doesn't know the value of it. We waste no time. Snatch it off the shelf and buy it before anyone else realizes that it's there. And we waste no time in it, quite rightly. It's fair enough.

But there we see, to redeem the time. to make precious use of what we have. And I'll say this, and this is true in every context. Can we look back, and this is where life is really sanctified to us. Can we look back and say that we've no regrets? We make mistakes. There's definitely an owning of mistakes. But if we can look back and say, we've no regrets, it's a wonderful thing. Whether that's personal relationships, church life, whatever it is. If we can say we've no regrets, then how favoured we are. We're walking in harmony with Christ. You see, this is it.

Teach us to number our days. There's an end in sight here. I've talked a lot about the days, I know that. But there's a reason for it. Teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Now I've no doubt you know where I'm going with this. Wisdom, the wise man says, is the principal thing. why is it the principal thing? because the Lord Jesus himself is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption whenever we read the word wisdom in almost every context it may have another application but you know we want to see deeper than the shadow We want to see deeper than the surface. We need to see the person. The person.

You see, real religion is in a person. It's always in a person. It's not simply in a doctrine. It's not in a denomination. It's not in a chapel building. it's in a person and if we have that principle right within us then all the rest will be added unto us teaches to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom and therefore is following this the heart the heart

Now, the heart is spoken of a lot in scripture because it's speaking of what a man is. In a Western context, people talk about the heart in silly, sentimental, romantic terms most of the time, which are utterly meaningless for the most part. But a heart here is something that is completely taken up. This is what a man is. it's what a man is you see Christianity real Christianity is not so much what we do though it affects that it's not even so much what we say though it affects that it's what we are it's what we are the heart here is applied and you know there's nothing worse than half-hearted indifferent Christianity.

And here, Moses is speaking of the person, applying our hearts onto wisdom. I know, is there not a liberty in this? You see, there is a liberty in the gospel. I said this to a Fullerite the other day. I said, you know, the Gospel's good news, but it's good news for sinners. It's good news for sinners.

And so here, we have had many a day, no doubt, we're bowed down under the afflictions and difficulties and oppressions of men, religious and irreligious. And in doing so we reflect. There's no question we reflect upon the days, we reflect upon the months, we reflect upon the years behind us. But there's only one place where there's liberty, isn't there? Really. We can enjoy good company. Don't get me wrong. I'm not speaking in any legal tack here. You know me better than that. There's nothing better than a man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labour. Good company with good Christian people is a wonderful thing.

but there's only one source of real joy there's only one source of real peace and here it's found in abundance abundance that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom it's been right, isn't it? for eternity now there's certain occasions and certain situations these things are really brought home to us as most of you are aware I had to take a funeral on New Year's Eve and one of our members who's been with us since 1974 it really brings it home in seeing a situation like that a person gone to glory a person prepared she said herself but it comes down to this not a lot of noise not anything other than a heart that is united to Christ and a heart that's united to Christ cannot do anything but live in overall live in peace and joy that isn't to say that we're living in the mountaintop all that at the time that certainly isn't to say That we don't have difficult days, months or even years. But underneath are the everlasting arms. This is the point, this is the principle. Applying our hearts unto wisdom. And so where do we look?

You see, many a child of God has been brought into terrible bondage by looking at themselves. If you apply your heart unto self, if you apply your heart unto religion, you can't do anything but find yourself in trouble of mind and heart. But here is, Moses is expressing this. Remember the people were murmuring. The people were murmuring against him. Apply our hearts unto wisdom. to be united to Christ, to apply our hearts into every aspect of the Lord. But more pertinently, and more particularly this, it was the Messiah, wasn't it? That they were looking for in those days. They applied their hearts into wisdom.

And here today, having the full revelation of truth, We apply our hearts unto wisdom in this respect. We consider Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We consider that great work of atonement. Some works are great, some works are small, but one small work exceeds them all. One great work, I should say, exceeds them all. The work of His atoning death.

And here in 2026, as we Go on. This year, we mustn't ever be mindful of this. We must never be forgetful. We must be mindful of this. That the Lord will come again. And this is why we must always say, God willing. We know not what a day may bring forth. But we live on the tiptoe of faith. Not looking for events. Not looking to see what's going to happen in the Middle East. But we look for Him. H-I-M. Him. That's who we look for. That's who we look for. Applying our hearts unto wisdom. The great hope set before all believers.

This is so neglected in the chapels. It's so neglected. Why is it neglected? Because people tend to live very comfortable lives. But I can tell you this. The true church in North Korea is looking for the second return of the Lord. The true church over in Algeria or in Saudi Arabia is looking for the return of the Lord. Why? Because if we are living under the constant oppression of the enemy then this is all the more set before us. They're continuously numbering their days.

Remember David spoke of, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil. Now there were particular times when he was sought by Saul and others that that was no doubt a particular concern to him. But isn't our whole lives living under that? Really? What did he say? He said, I shall fear no evil Not because I've got my theology right. Not because I've got all things worked out. He said, because thou art with me.

And as we enter 2026, the reality is this. We can face anything. Anything that comes before us, if the Lord is with us. knowing that our time here is sure, knowing that we know not what a day may bring forth, knowing that our lives are measured really as days. There's ever an eye unto the Lord, Jesus himself, his great work of atonement, and he's coming again. So much that we can say, so teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Amen.