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Fat and Flourishing

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Recently I heard a young person say, “I never want to get old! It’s so depressing!” The reason for their statement was that they had heard an older person complain, fuss, moan and gripe about everything that was happening around them. It’s easy for any of us to get into a state like that – no matter how young or old we are.

If someone followed you around today would they say, “I never want to be in my 30’s! Being a mother is too stressful!” Or “I hope I don’t stay single all my life; single people are selfish!” How about, “Women in their 40’s sure are moody!” spare me from that! There is truth in the statement, “You are what you have been becoming.” So, what are you becoming?

I love Psalm 92:12-15. It reads: The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; to shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. This passage tells us what a healthy older person should look like; they should be bearing fruit and be fat and flourishing! Fruit belongs to youth, but those that grow in grace keep on bearing fruit even in their later years. Aged believers have had experience trusting in the Lord and should have a sweet mellow temperament that feeds those around them. Why do they do this? To show to the world that their God is upright, their rock and a holy God!

I love what Spurgeon notes about this passage. He says about the older believer, “however feeble his outward man may be, his inner man is so renewed day by day that we may well envy his perennial peace. Perennial peace! That’s peace that’s long-lasting like the daffodil or tulip that will pop up again this spring. As we grow in the Lord we should have peace and contentment that keeps popping its head up through the soil of our lives. No matter if it’s been cold, or the “ground is hard.” We have a God that is leading us, teaching us and enabling us to grow old in such a way that we’re bearing spiritual fruit and are fat and flourishing!

Let’s all take a look at how we respond today to the difficulties the Lord allows in our life and ask ourselves: “Would people would envy my perennial peace, or would they shun me because of my continual carping instead?”
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A Song of Praise

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Did you find yourself humming this morning while you were getting ready for the day? Is there a song that is “stuck” in your mind from the weekend? Was it a song of God’s goodness or of praise to Him?

Psalm 59:17 says, Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing; for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy. Even if you’re not a morning person, or even if you can’t carry a tune there should have a song in our heart if we’re saved. Who else could be our strength today? Who else will stand today to defend us when the enemy strikes? Who else will show such mercy as our great God? NO ONE!

“There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus, no not one! No not one!”
“What a friend we have in Jesus…”
“No one ever cared for me like Jesus”

What song is on your lips?

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Driven to Prayer

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I just finished reading a captivating book called, Relinquishing my Dreams, by Sue Burrows and Tricia Bradley. The subtitle is “How to Survive a Prodigal.” This is the true story of one family that dealt with their daughter’s rebellion beginning when she was fourteen years of age. The book also includes survival tips in each chapter, biblical characters to study, and then it ends with a Bible study of twenty-six different Bible characters that will help one to have hope and know how to deal with their prodigal. It’s excellent.

It’s not surprising that one of the characters that the authors study is David. David had a prodigal son named Absolam. Though I haven’t done the study in my new book yet, I did just recently read Psalm 55 where David addresses the hurt and pain he’s experiencing because of a betrayal. This came in the form of an old counsellor of David’s – Ahithophel. Now this man is giving Absolam counsel – against his father. Wow! A double whammy!
David reflects on his relationship with Ahithophel in the early years. In Psalm 55:12-14 he says, for it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it; neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him. but it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide , and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company. David is referencing Ahithophel’s betrayal in II Samuel 17 where Ahithophel says to Absolam: Let me choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night: and I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid; and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only.

It wouldn’t be half as bad if we would read that Absolam cries out, “No! How could I do such a thing as to betray my own father, the king?” But sadly it reads instead, And the saying pleased Absalom well…

Is there any burden so great as the rebellion of your own child? How did David deal with this pain? We read in Psalm 55:16, 17 As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. David found comfort in prayer. He reminded himself that God would hear him. Note that he doesn’t just whisper a prayer, he’s crying out!! He’s desperate for God’s help and intervention.

None of us like the thoughts of going through something as hard as what David is experiencing here, but it will do to us what it did to David – it will drive us to our knees. It’s as though that burden is bearing down on us until we are bowed down. It’s that place where we realize that the greatest resource we have is prayer. Whatever your burden is today, whether you’re dealing with a prodigal, financial struggles, health issues, relationship problems or your own flesh, let it drive you morning, noon and night to cry out in desperate prayer. David’s God is your God. Divine help is on the way!

The resource table at Boones Creek will be making the book, Relinquishing my Dreams available soon.
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Contemplating Thanks

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Can you believe that a week from today is Thanksgiving? It seems like autumn just started and now the holiday season is upon us! If you’re like me and find yourself covered over it can be so easy to let Thanksgiving come and go without a whole lot of contemplation about your gratitude. Oh, perhaps when everyone sits around the dinner table we’ll be asked to tell what we’re thankful for and then we’ll contemplate our blessings, but why not begin today? Here are a few suggestions to conjure up your gratitude to the Lord:

  • Using a dry erase marker, make a list on the bathroom mirror for your husband/and or children to tell them why you’re thankful for them.

  • Before dinner each night this week have everyone write down why they’re thankful for a particular family member, then read them before or after you eat.

  • Spend your whole prayer time in praising God. Don’t ask Him for anything!

  • Sit down and write a card to someone (or several) to tell them you’re thankful for them and why. Send it in the mail.

  • Make a list of blessings in your prayer journal and keep adding to it all week.

  • If you have small children give them construction paper leaves and write on each one something they’re thankful for. Make a tree in the hallway or their bedroom wall with the leaves.
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; for praise is comely for the upright. Psalm 33:1