In a time in our world where the aged are tossed aside like worthless, rotten fruit, it is awesome to read in God's Word about the refreshing new life He gives to us all. That new life given every moment of every day and the shelf life is forever. In Psalm 92:10-15 the Psalmist follows up the earlier verses where He is giving praise to the Lord from a heart that has experienced this refreshing. Here is the scripture 10 But You have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil. 11 And my eye has looked exultantly upon my foes, My ears hear of the evildoers who rise up against me. 12 The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still yield fruit in old age;
They shall be full of sap and very green, 15 To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. It is such an encouraging thing to see this scripture, NOT because it shows that the aged still have a place in serving God, but that a righteous man will sprout up and grow and bear fruit continually and that crosses all age groups and brings to mind the eternity of God and His promises.
Since God is the same, yesterday, and forever, His mercies last for all time. The Prophet Jeremiah in Lamentations spoke of how God had beaten him up pretty bad and He asked God to remember Him and then Jeremiah speaks these words in Lamentations 3:22-25 and here is what he says 22 The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning;Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” 25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. Remember, when Jesus healed or supplied His power it was without holding back anything. Jesus healed the blind man, and even though He put mud on the blind man's eyes it didn't minimize the power of the one who was healing. The man's sight came back and it wasn't 20/100 and hoping for better results later on. No, his eyes were perfect at 20/20 and nothing was held back or minimized when it came from Jesus. When we think about Jesus we must never think in human wisdom about Him. Some of the spiritual battle for each believer is actually BELIEVING that Jesus is who He says He is. As I seek God I find out more and more every day and His mercies are new every day, because the freshness of who Jesus is at times is overwhelming to me as I experience the purity of His Word.
Jeremiah had experienced God at the point of almost quitting, God came through in strength and power at just the right time. It didn't matter what age Jeremiah was, but all that mattered was that He was believing for God's power and that power was shown in and through Jeremiah. When I was young in the faith I looked at God's word from a certain vantage point and that point was many times seen second hand through some other believer. I would elevate that person in my thinking, not seeing my sin in doing that, but as I got older I quit relying on the belief of others and my direct contact with God at a spiritual level changed me forever. Every day He shows me more and more of what He is really saying in His Holy Word and that is what is known as a "daily refreshing." This morning God showed me, through the preceding scriptures that my vantage point needs to focus on Him and to not let the world's message muddy the pure spiritual water of His Word. Point in case the Samaritan Woman. Here is what Jesus said about His "water" to that woman. John 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” And from my vantage point that is why Jesus just keeps on quenching my thirst with His never ending water supply. I cannot help but get refreshed and renewed every day. It is part of the eternity of who Jesus is and how He does it. To put limitations on the aged because of age shows a lack of spiritual maturity and a lack of Bible Study by those who do it. So I pray for them to get into the Word of God and allow to replace their human perspective with a Godly one.
I was so encouraged to get a message from one of my classmates from years ago in high school and for Him to share how God was moving him and his wife into a new realm of ministry. Wow, a freshness that only God can give because God is eternity and that eternity is experienced more and more in the days He grants us to live. So the ageless commitment we give to God causes our fruit to be fresh and new, and even more tasty as we grow in our walk with God. Some may say "Oh yeah, you feel that your days in service aren't over because you are near retirement!" How presumptuous to think such finite thoughts about infinite stuff. Every day I am to take the breath God has given me to serve Him and live that day to the fullest and I can only do that because of the eternity that is in my life because I surrendered to Jesus and I have been born again!! The only tragedy of age is when a younger person acts and plans like an old person who has given up. To me that is a modern-day tragedy.
So keep on bearing fruit no matter what age you are and God will surely use you as long as you have that breath to live for Him. In our finite way of thinking you will have your doubters, but don't listen to them. Listen to Paul in His God's Word. Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
The Pilgrimage Continues.....
David Warren
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