So teach us to number our days,

That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

—Psalm 90:12

September is one of the most popular birthday months. It sure is in my household, because three of the four of us—my husband, my daughter, and me—were born this month. My husband and I were born 361 days apart, so we’re the same age for four days each year.

This year, I’ve been reflecting more on birthdays from a biblical perspective.

The gift of life is something I don’t take for granted. My sixteen-year-old unwed mother chose to give birth to me in spite of pressure to have an abortion. Sixteen years later, I survived an attempt to take my own life. Nineteen years down the road, I gave birth to my first child, and the blessing of life took on a whole new meaning and significance.

Scripture contains numerous verses that reinforce the sanctity of life. One of the most famous passages is Psalm 139:13–16:

“For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother’s womb.

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.”

In addition to acknowledging God as creator of every human life, these verses reinforce the truth of His omniscience. Our Father has always known everything about us—including the precise nanosecond of our conception and death, and every moment in between.

Similar ideas are expressed in Jeremiah 1:5: “‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.’” God has a purpose for every single one of us and has placed a calling on our lives. Even if we have seasons when we feel like we’re aimlessly meandering, we can take comfort and be confident in knowing that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

When we reach a certain age, we might feel disinclined to celebrate our birthdays. And for some of us, birthdays can elicit bittersweet memories of more carefree years. Yet birthdays are an opportunity to offer thanks and praise to God—the One who “gives to all life, breath, and all things”—for another year to love and serve Him and neighbor (Acts 17:25). Not only on our birthdays, but throughout the year, we can ask God to “teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

As I prepare to mark and celebrate another year this month, my heart will be full of gratitude for the God who formed me, saved me, and continues to guide my life.

With love in Christ,

Amanda

xoxo

Scripture taken from the New King James Version^®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.