Growing old is not for sissies

Wrinkles.

Arthritis.

Commercials that warn you that you may fall and not be able to get up. 

We've talked before about leaving a legacy for those who come after us. We've touched on aging and the trials and joys there.

Today, we'll begin a psalm written by an old man. 
Ready?

It's a little longer than some of the psalms we have studied previously, but my goodness! There's a lot here for us!

I'm going to post it here and ask you to stop in each day and re-read it. Or re-read it in your own Bible. We'll begin our studies on Wednesday.

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
    let me never be put to shame.
 In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
    turn your ear to me and save me.
 Be my rock of refuge,
    to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
    for you are my rock and my fortress.
 Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,
    from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.

 For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,
    my confidence since my youth.
 From birth I have relied on you;
    you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
    I will ever praise you.
 I have become a sign to many;
    you are my strong refuge.
 My mouth is filled with your praise,
    declaring your splendor all day long.

 Do not cast me away when I am old;
    do not forsake me when my strength is gone.
 For my enemies speak against me;
    those who wait to kill me conspire together.
 They say, “God has forsaken him;
    pursue him and seize him,
    for no one will rescue him.”
 Do not be far from me, my God;
    come quickly, God, to help me.
 May my accusers perish in shame;
    may those who want to harm me
    be covered with scorn and disgrace.

As for me, I will always have hope;
    I will praise you more and more.

 My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds,
    of your saving acts all day long—
    though I know not how to relate them all.
 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord;
    I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
 Since my youth, God, you have taught me,
    and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
 Even when I am old and gray,
    do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
    your mighty acts to all who are to come.

 Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,
    you who have done great things.
    Who is like you, God?
 Though you have made me see troubles,
    many and bitter,
    you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
    you will again bring me up.
 You will increase my honor
    and comfort me once more.

 I will praise you with the harp
    for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,
    Holy One of Israel.
 My lips will shout for joy
    when I sing praise to you—
    I whom you have delivered.
 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
    all day long,
for those who wanted to harm me
    have been put to shame and confusion. (Psalm 71)

Friday slowdown

This wonderful old song blessed my heart this week. I hope it calms, soothes, and inspires all who pause here.

Before the throne my Savior stands . . . .

Your turn to speak!

Even after the pandemic has passed, our readership has decreased . . . I know that some of us have more than one job; some have family issues that they must tend to; others are recovering from illnesses themselves.

I pray each day for those who pause here to read; I know that all of us are burdened and busy - it may be that no one has time to answer these questions! 
And that is OK!

I'm honored that some still stop by here and make this a part of their day. In the past, I would post questions and ask readers to post thoughtful answers. I thought I would try that once more, and see if anyone wanted to share their thoughts.

I spoke just today with a lady who told me of a missions trip that she traveled on, and how it changed her ways of thinking. She observed people who had far fewer material blessings, but still led cheerful, spiritual lives. She said that when she got home, she was struck by how much more "stuff" people have in America, and her purchasing and giving habits both changed! She gave much more to missions, because she was spending less on "stuff"!!

What are your thoughts? Should we wait to give our offerings to missions until we feel we have "enough" of God's blessings, or is giving one way to experience His blessing? And how do we determine how much to give to missions and missionaries?

If anyone has a moment to answer, please leave a comment. You may help someone with your answer.

Thank you.

Seeking His blessings and sharing

As we finish our study of Psalm 67, we can ask ourselves some questions. We can do this in our quiet time, and ask God to point out things in our lives and in our hearts that may need to change.

Are we earnestly seeking God's blessings for ourselves, our family, and for the family of God? 

We should be! It's only when we experience the blessing of salvation that we can know the gladness of God and share it with others. It's easier to share our time and our finances when God has blessed us abundantly - we must open our hands and give to others.

It's the overflow of joy in our hearts that will appeal to others so that they want to know why our lives are different. Praise the Lord when that happens, and be ready to share a testimony of His love!

But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, (I Peter 3:15)

Let's take the time daily to rejoice in the Lord. Let's spend time in His Word and examine our hearts. Allow Him to judge all known sin, and bring unknown issues to our attention. Let's ask Him to bless us spiritually and materially, so that we can bless the people around us, and the nations that do not yet know Him.

Then, let's be good stewards of His blessings. Make a plan to get out of debt -- and follow it! Live simply and joyously. Give to the Lord's work. 

Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (I Timothy 6:6-10)

Our gladness in God our Father will spread to those around us and all around the earth.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

Prayer requests

 

Do you watch the news shows?

Do you avoid them?

Does it stress and/or disgust you to see all that is going on in our world today?

Are we anxious about it all?

Are we missing the boat on praying for our country?

Fear and anxiety are both normal reactions, but prayer is a vehicle that will help with our emotions and make a difference in our nation!

Here in the USA, we are a country in crisis. The USA is Christian in name only, and the "free choices" and sins of our fathers and grandfathers all come with consequences. Maybe you live in another country, but are facing the same type of crisis.

The Bible is quite clear that our prayers can change things. Intercessory prayers for people, leaders, and nations can change everything. 
We prayer warriors are needed!

Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. (Jeremiah 29:7)

God told Israel to pray for the peace of the place where they lived. They'd been carried as captives into exile, and He said, "Pray for that city."

Here in America, our country has been rocked by riots, protests, sickness, and more. If there was ever a time to pray for peace for this nation, it's now. 

God is clear in His Word that He is opposed to the proud and haughty, but that He defends the humble. We must be examples of humility, and we must pray that our country humbles itself.

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (II Chronicles 7:14)

We need to repent of our sins and ask God to heal the pain and hurt in our country. It is He Who can heal broken hearts and minds.

We can ask Him to help us never forget that every good thing in our lives is not because we did anything noteworthy, but those blessings come from Him, instead.

And that we are not good in our own right. We've not earned His love or favor, because we deserve nothing but separation from Him. Any time we get puffed up with pride, He needs to remind us where we once stood: hopeless. Lost. Rebellious. Sinful.

Then we can experience His peace and His protection. He will hear us, forgive us, and bring hope to our hurting world.

Opening our hands

 

One of the thoughts that I keep coming back to as we study Psalm 67 is that God blesses us so that we can bless others.

The land yields its harvest;
    God, our God, blesses us.
7 May God bless us still,
    so that all the ends of the earth will fear him. (Psalm 67:6-7)

The songwriter says that God had blessed Israel materially. The earth had yielded a bountiful harvest. The olive trees had been heavy with their fruit; the cattle, oxen, and sheep had multiplied into even larger herds. 
Why?
So that all the nations would know that Israel's God was the One true God.  So that the other nations would experience spiritual blessings.

It's true today, as well. 

When God blesses us materially, it shouldn't translate into our squandering his blessings on selfish living. We shouldn't go down our list of "oh, I like those" and "one day I'll buy that."  That's not the point of His blessing. When we are blessed with material things, we should make it a point to bless others. I'm not saying that it's always wrong to buy things not needed. An occasional splurge is a good thing and can lift our spirits; we can praise God for His blessing us with enough money for it to be possible. But we should remember to use God's blessings to bless others.

We can bless others financially by helping those in need around us.

If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? (I John 3:17)

We can also bless others financially by supporting those who are taking the message of God's gift of salvation to those who have not yet heard. The early churches are an example for us:

You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. (Philippians 4:15-16)

We can bless others with the gift of our time.

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)

We can bless them by providing for their needs.

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (Hebrews 13:16)

To invest in others, and in the gospel, is to share our gladness in God. We can be a part of glorifying Him and in spreading the joy of the Lord all around the world!

Friday slowdown

 His blessings . . . always the best for us. Always at the right time. His time.