Life / Small Group · aligned to Presbyterian / Reformed
Teach Us to Number Our Days: Starting the Year With Wisdom
Because our days are few and God is eternal, true wisdom means living each God-given day in light of His unchanging love and sovereign grace.
How this lesson was made
DiviNav AI drafted this lesson (Life / Small Group, aligned to the Presbyterian / Reformed statement of faith), then an automatic review checked it for Scripture accuracy, theology, sensitive content, and originality. No pastor has read it line by line, so treat it as a starting point: read it all the way through and adapt it to your group before you teach.
Lesson plan
Warmly welcome the group and briefly frame the night: as we begin a new year, Psalm 90 — often considered the oldest psalm, attributed to Moses — teaches us to hold together two truths: human life is brief and fragile, and God is eternal and our everlasting dwelling place. Open in prayer, asking the Lord to give the group 'a heart of wisdom' as you study. Keep this tight so you protect the teaching and activity time.
Read Psalm 90 aloud as a group (BSB) — consider having three readers take verses 1-6, 7-11, and 12-17 to keep attention. Invite everyone to simply notice: Who is God in this psalm? Who are we? Don't discuss yet — just read, listen, and let the contrast between God's eternity and our frailty settle in before teaching begins.
Walk through Psalm 90 in three movements. (1) GOD IS OUR EVERLASTING HOME (vv.1-2): Before the mountains or the world existed, God is — 'from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.' In the Reformed tradition we rest in God's sovereign, unchanging character; our security is not our achievements but that He has been 'our dwelling place in all generations.' (2) OUR DAYS ARE FEW AND MARKED BY SIN (vv.3-11): Moses is brutally honest — we return to dust, a thousand years are nothing to God, our years 'quickly pass, and we fly away' (v.10). This frailty is tied to sin and God's holy displeasure. This is not morbidity but realism that drives us to grace. (3) WISDOM, SATISFACTION, AND FRUITFULNESS (vv.12-17): The turn comes in v.12 — numbering our days is not anxious counting but learning to live every day under God, so that we present Him 'a heart of wisdom.' Verse 14 anchors wisdom in God's steadfast 'loving devotion' that satisfies us 'in the morning'; because we are saved by grace alone, we can be glad all our days. Verse 17 lets us ask God to 'establish the work of our hands' — our brief, mortal labor matters because the eternal God blesses it. Land the big idea: because our days are few and God is eternal, wisdom means living each day in light of His unchanging love and grace.
Move through the discussion questions below, starting with the warm-up, spending most time on the 'dig' questions, and always finishing with at least one 'apply' question. In a group of 9-20, consider briefly breaking into pairs or trios for a question or two so everyone can speak, then gather back to share. Handle any talk of mortality, loss, or fear gently — this psalm touches real grief for some.
Hand each person an index card. PART 1 (private, ~5 min): Ask them to write at the top the phrase 'Teach me to number my days.' Underneath, have them answer two prompts drawing on vv.12 & 17: (a) 'One way I want to live wisely this year — a priority I'd return to if I remembered my days are few.' (b) 'One work of my hands I'm asking God to establish this year.' PART 2 (shared, ~7 min): In pairs or trios, each person shares one item they're comfortable sharing, and the partner commits to pray for them this week. PART 3 (~3 min): Close the activity by inviting people to take the card home and place it somewhere visible (mirror, dashboard, Bible) as a reminder through January. Emphasize grace, not pressure: this is about resting in God's love, not performing.
Gather the group back together. Briefly restate the big idea. Pray Psalm 90:17 over the group, asking God to let His favor rest on them and to establish the work of their hands this year. Invite a few willing members to pray short sentence prayers, then close. Remind the group of the next meeting and make yourself available afterward for anyone whom the theme of mortality or loss stirred up.
Discussion questions
- warmupIn verses 1-2, how does Moses describe God? What does it mean for you that God has been 'our dwelling place in all generations'?
- digMoses doesn't soften the reality that our lives are short (vv.3-6, 10). Why do you think we tend to avoid thinking about the brevity of life? What does honest realism about our days actually free us to do?
- digVerse 12 is the hinge of the psalm. What's the difference between anxiously counting down our days and prayerfully 'numbering' them to gain 'a heart of wisdom'?
- digHow do verses 14 and 17 keep this psalm from becoming hopeless? Where do you see God's grace and the value of our ordinary work?
- applyIf you truly lived this week knowing your days are a gift from an eternal God, what is one thing you would do differently?
- applyWhat is one 'work of your hands' you want to ask God to establish this year — and who in this group can pray for you in it?
Scripture
Psalm 90:1 (BSB) — Lord, You have been our dwelling place through all generations.
Psalm 90:2 (BSB) — Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.
Psalm 90:4 (BSB) — For in Your sight a thousand years are but a day that passes, or a watch of the night.
Psalm 90:10 (BSB) — The length of our days is seventy years— or eighty if we are strong— yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
Psalm 90:12 (BSB) — So teach us to number our days, that we may present a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:14 (BSB) — Satisfy us in the morning with Your loving devotion, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Psalm 90:17 (BSB) — May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish for us the work of our hands— yes, establish the work of our hands!
James 4:14 (BSB) — You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Leader notes
Prep checklist
- Read Psalm 90 several times this week and pray through verse 12 for yourself before leading.
- Pre-select three readers for the Scripture reading (vv.1-6, 7-11, 12-17) so the opening flows smoothly.
- Prepare index cards and have enough pens for everyone before the group arrives.
- Plan your pairs/trios strategy ahead of time for the discussion and activity so transitions are quick in a medium-sized group.
- RUNNING SHORT ON TIME? If the session runs long, trim the Discussion from 20 to about 14 minutes by dropping discussion questions 2 and 4, and keep the full Teaching and Activity intact — do not shorten the Activity, since it is where the lesson becomes personal.
- PASTORAL/CRISIS CARE: This psalm deals honestly with death, frailty, and the brevity of life, which may surface grief, fear, or deeper distress for some members. Watch for anyone who seems overwhelmed and follow up privately and gently. If anyone expresses thoughts of suicide, self-harm, abuse, or acute mental-health distress, point them clearly to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988, available 24/7); for immediate danger call 911. Encourage professional help and, where appropriate, your pastor. Never present prayer or spiritual practice as a substitute for emergency or professional care — offer both compassion and the right resources.
- Be ready to make yourself available for a few minutes after the session for anyone the theme stirred up.
Materials
- Bibles (BSB) or printed copies of Psalm 90 for all members
- Index cards (one per person, plus a few extra)
- Pens/pencils for everyone
- Optional: a printed copy of Psalm 90:12 and 90:17 to display or hand out as a take-home reminder
- A visible clock or timer to keep segments on schedule
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