Day Nine: The Giant of Aging - Fear of Getting Old
Scripture readings:
Psalm 90:10 As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away.
(Note from Tom and Lisa: Don’t be discouraged! Read on!!!)
Joshua 14:11 "I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in.”
Joel 2:28 "It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. “
Today’s giant is the Giant of Aging. No one really looks forward to getting older, right? I’m marching rapidly toward the big 5-0 in years, and Tom is perilously close to 60! Yikes! We decided to start today’s devotional with a sobering verse about what the Bible says about how many years we can “expect” to live. We do not want you to get discouraged by reading the first verse, but it really is pretty much what our life expectancy is, according to those who keep track of these things!
But hang on: In the second verse quoted here, it isn’t the more well-known warrior Joshua speaking; it is Caleb. Do you remember Caleb? He is that great warrior who served alongside Joshua, was one of the 12 men sent ahead to check out the Promised Land by Moses. At age 40, his eyes bulged out of his head when he saw the huge grapes, the land flowing with milk and honey, the lovely lush landscape. He saw opportunity. But reporting back to Moses, all the other spies were intimidated and protested that Canaan was too populated with giants to risk forging ahead. Only Caleb said, “We can take this land.” He was steadfast and undaunted by the size of the inhabitants. Forty-five years later Caleb tells Joshua that he is STILL ready to possess the hill country that the Lord had long ago promised to him: “I am still as strong as the day Moses sent me out.” This attitude pleased the Lord: “Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly” (Joshua 14:24). What a cheerful and resolute attitude toward life!
And in the third verse, the prophet Joel predicted that one day a new Spirit would be poured out, and that old men would dream dreams. This prophesy was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost (see Acts 2:16-21), when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles in a great wind.
Joel and Caleb are two Biblical heroes who did not get defeated by the Giant of Aging. They did not let the threat of advancing years deter them from dreaming dreams and pursuing goals for God. Isn’t that encouraging?
This past winter I too was encouraged greatly, when I attended the funeral of my great-aunt Ruby. Ruby was my dad’s aunt. Not a misprint: my DAD’s aunt! How awesome! My father will be 80 years old this year. How many 80 year olds can say that their aunt just passed away? She was in her mid nineties and has an incredibly large, strong, loving and spiritual family. As I looked around at all the family members in attendance, I realized once again how my family has been given the gift of longevity. My dad, Bob Cross, is from a family of six children – all but one are still here! My dad’s mother lived to 96. My mom’s mom lived to 92. Then, climb up my husband’s family tree and you will find that both of his grandmothers lived into their nineties. Tom’s aunt Anna Julia, though, wins the grand prize, as she will celebrate her 102nd birthday this May! Can you believe it? If we take care of ourselves and the Lord wills it, one of us might hit three digits! Whoo-hoo!!
More important than the gift of years, is that the gift of salvation and evangelism “runs in the family”. Several of my cousins are evangelists. Tom’s grandfather was a preacher and his second cousin is a missionary doctor who “just” left the mission field in Africa in his mid eighties. We are so encouraged by this legacy. As our years increase, we are seeing that the seeds of living strong, living long and not just for ourselves, have been planted in both families. This is truly a gift for which we are both grateful.
My prayer for myself, my family, and for all of you is that our age will be just a number. My hope and prayer is that we will not let the number on our driver’s license determine our desire, our passion for soul-winning. Let’s not allow the giant of aging to keep us from dreaming dreams. Let us be like Joel. Let us use our years to our advantage as we seek to gain wisdom and to gain souls for the Lord’s kingdom. As we gain in years, let us gain physical and spiritual strength like Caleb.
Prayer: Help us, Lord, to gain in the knowledge of You as we grow older. Help us, Lord, to teach others about You. Lord, give us more years so that we can do more for Your kingdom. Lord, if You will grant us more years, we will seek to use them for Your glory and not our own. Help us to use the years to build up Your kingdom and not to build up houses or trophies for ourselves. Thank you Lord for the gift of life!
Slay that Giant: Join the Nursing Home team on a visit to the Falls Village Nursing Home on any first Sunday of the month. We visit with some amazing people there. They would love to be encouraged by a younger brother or sister in Christ.
Showing posts with label slaying your giants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label slaying your giants. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Day 8 - The Giant Shopping Addiction
Day 8 A Giant of a Sale
Scripture Reading: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Can you pass up a bargain? It’s difficult, isn’t it? January and June are the months when my favorite store, Bath and Body Works, has a huge sale on nearly their entire inventory. That’s when I have a hard time staying away from the mall. “White sales” (huge markdowns on bedding, sheets, etc.) can be found in January as well. Whenever we hear “75 percent off”, our ears perk up, don’t they? And the curiously termed “white elephant” sales are popular in the spring and summer. We’ll explore that phrase briefly in a moment.
Now, bargains aren’t always what they are cracked up to be. We can end up with a houseful of stuff we didn't need, that we bought just because it was on sale or because someone else has one and we thus think we need one too. Regret is always a potential side effect of a shopping frenzy.
So here’s what I found to be the origin of the phrase “white elephant”:
White (albino) elephants were regarded as holy in ancient times in Thailand and other Asian countries. To keep a white elephant was a very expensive task, since you had to provide the elephant with special food, and provide access for people who wanted to come and worship it. If a Thai King became, for some reason, dissatisfied with a sub-king, he would give him a white elephant. The gift would, in most cases, ruin the recipient. (internet def'n)
I laughed when I read this but it was a painful laugh, for several reasons. One, it says that the gift would usually “ruin the recipient” – and don’t we find that when we go crazy at a sale, it ruins our budget? We say to ourselves when the credit card bills comes, “why did I buy this?” Second, bargains still come with a price. We have more work to do: we now have to justify the purchase to our spouse or to ourselves if we’re trying to stay within a monthly budget. Third, it says that a white elephant was very expensive to maintain, and then the owner had to accommodate visitors who wanted to “worship it”. Isn’t this so true? Don’t we end up worshipping some of our purchases, in the way we show it to others – “look what I got – for 75 percent off!” – and in our pride in ourselves for having located such a great deal? Our focus gets off of the things that matter, and on to something that can't possibly help our souls.
Well, for those of us who can't pass up a giant of a sale, let us remind ourselves of the best bargain the world has ever encountered. It is found in John 3:16. “For God SO LOVED the world that He gave His one and only son – so that WHOEVER believes in Him would not perish – but have ETERNAL life.” Don’t miss this – the price of eternal life for man is one word: belief. Belief in the Savior. God paid the ultimate price – He sacrificed His only Son – for all of humanity. We simply have to place our trust in Him. Salvation is a free gift. It is a gift that lasts for eternity. God is our loving Redeemer who takes our confession of sin and our need for a Savior, and He redeems our broken lives with the gift of eternal life in heaven with Him. Do you know what “redeem” means? I Google’d the word and came up with some fascinating definitions. Read these and consider what our Heavenly Father did for us!!!
To purchase back; to regain possession of by payment of a stipulated price; to repurchase.
To regain by performing the obligation or condition stated; to discharge the obligation mentioned in, as a promissory note, bond, or other evidence of debt; as, to redeem bank notes with coin.
To ransom, liberate, or rescue from captivity or bondage, or from any obligation or liability to suffer or to be forfeited, by paying a price or ransom; to ransom; to rescue; to recover; as, to redeem a captive, a pledge, and the like.
To pay the penalty of; to make amends for; to serve as an equivalent or offset for; to atone for; to compensate; as, to redeem an error.
These definitions just pierce my soul when I consider what God did for me. He paid the ultimate price for my sins! He ransomed me! He bought my pardon! He rescued and delivered me! He fulfilled His promise! A giant of a sale will pierce our wallets – and leave us with possessions that will tarnish and get old – but the gift of eternal life is absolutely priceless. What sacrifice! He gave the life of His Only Son – for us! What love! We owe Him our souls for what He did for us! Eternal life with Him – that is the best bargain of all.
Prayer: Dear Lord, we praise You for giving us the chance to have everlasting life with You! Thank you for sacrificing Your Son so that we might have life in You. Lord, we can never repay You for what You have done. Help us to somehow honor you with our lives in thanks for this unspeakable gift. Help us to be enthusiastic about telling others about this incredible, heavenly bargain!
Slay that Giant: For the next week, try to resist any temptation you might have to buy something just because it is on sale. For those on a strict weekly budget, please realize that we are not suggesting that you bypass “milk on sale for $2.29” at the grocery store! Instead, consider nonperishable items, and things that we don’t truly need.
Scripture Reading: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Can you pass up a bargain? It’s difficult, isn’t it? January and June are the months when my favorite store, Bath and Body Works, has a huge sale on nearly their entire inventory. That’s when I have a hard time staying away from the mall. “White sales” (huge markdowns on bedding, sheets, etc.) can be found in January as well. Whenever we hear “75 percent off”, our ears perk up, don’t they? And the curiously termed “white elephant” sales are popular in the spring and summer. We’ll explore that phrase briefly in a moment.
Now, bargains aren’t always what they are cracked up to be. We can end up with a houseful of stuff we didn't need, that we bought just because it was on sale or because someone else has one and we thus think we need one too. Regret is always a potential side effect of a shopping frenzy.
So here’s what I found to be the origin of the phrase “white elephant”:
White (albino) elephants were regarded as holy in ancient times in Thailand and other Asian countries. To keep a white elephant was a very expensive task, since you had to provide the elephant with special food, and provide access for people who wanted to come and worship it. If a Thai King became, for some reason, dissatisfied with a sub-king, he would give him a white elephant. The gift would, in most cases, ruin the recipient. (internet def'n)
I laughed when I read this but it was a painful laugh, for several reasons. One, it says that the gift would usually “ruin the recipient” – and don’t we find that when we go crazy at a sale, it ruins our budget? We say to ourselves when the credit card bills comes, “why did I buy this?” Second, bargains still come with a price. We have more work to do: we now have to justify the purchase to our spouse or to ourselves if we’re trying to stay within a monthly budget. Third, it says that a white elephant was very expensive to maintain, and then the owner had to accommodate visitors who wanted to “worship it”. Isn’t this so true? Don’t we end up worshipping some of our purchases, in the way we show it to others – “look what I got – for 75 percent off!” – and in our pride in ourselves for having located such a great deal? Our focus gets off of the things that matter, and on to something that can't possibly help our souls.
Well, for those of us who can't pass up a giant of a sale, let us remind ourselves of the best bargain the world has ever encountered. It is found in John 3:16. “For God SO LOVED the world that He gave His one and only son – so that WHOEVER believes in Him would not perish – but have ETERNAL life.” Don’t miss this – the price of eternal life for man is one word: belief. Belief in the Savior. God paid the ultimate price – He sacrificed His only Son – for all of humanity. We simply have to place our trust in Him. Salvation is a free gift. It is a gift that lasts for eternity. God is our loving Redeemer who takes our confession of sin and our need for a Savior, and He redeems our broken lives with the gift of eternal life in heaven with Him. Do you know what “redeem” means? I Google’d the word and came up with some fascinating definitions. Read these and consider what our Heavenly Father did for us!!!
To purchase back; to regain possession of by payment of a stipulated price; to repurchase.
To regain by performing the obligation or condition stated; to discharge the obligation mentioned in, as a promissory note, bond, or other evidence of debt; as, to redeem bank notes with coin.
To ransom, liberate, or rescue from captivity or bondage, or from any obligation or liability to suffer or to be forfeited, by paying a price or ransom; to ransom; to rescue; to recover; as, to redeem a captive, a pledge, and the like.
To pay the penalty of; to make amends for; to serve as an equivalent or offset for; to atone for; to compensate; as, to redeem an error.
These definitions just pierce my soul when I consider what God did for me. He paid the ultimate price for my sins! He ransomed me! He bought my pardon! He rescued and delivered me! He fulfilled His promise! A giant of a sale will pierce our wallets – and leave us with possessions that will tarnish and get old – but the gift of eternal life is absolutely priceless. What sacrifice! He gave the life of His Only Son – for us! What love! We owe Him our souls for what He did for us! Eternal life with Him – that is the best bargain of all.
Prayer: Dear Lord, we praise You for giving us the chance to have everlasting life with You! Thank you for sacrificing Your Son so that we might have life in You. Lord, we can never repay You for what You have done. Help us to somehow honor you with our lives in thanks for this unspeakable gift. Help us to be enthusiastic about telling others about this incredible, heavenly bargain!
Slay that Giant: For the next week, try to resist any temptation you might have to buy something just because it is on sale. For those on a strict weekly budget, please realize that we are not suggesting that you bypass “milk on sale for $2.29” at the grocery store! Instead, consider nonperishable items, and things that we don’t truly need.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Day 7 - That Giant Thorn in the Flesh
The Giant Thorn in the Flesh
Scripture Reading: "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure". I Corinthians 12:7
Writing today’s devotional was difficult. I think of a thorn in the flesh as a bad habit, an annoying “thing” that just won't go away. And I find bad habits very hard to break. They are hard for me to admit them to others, as well. But whatever the thorn in our flesh may be – whatever it is that you or I may struggle with – let us take heart that the Lord knows about it and He can help us with it.
As we see in the above verse, the apostle Paul says that “there was GIVEN TO ME a thorn in the flesh” to keep him from being exalted above measure. It was given to him. The thorn was given to him to keep him humble, in other words. Every time he started thinking that the sun shone greater on his part of the world, he got that little stab in the side that reminded him that he was human just like the rest of us – a sinner saved by grace.
Theologians have surmised what was the specific thorn in Paul’s flesh. No one knows for sure. Was it a real thorn – an actual foreign body – embedded in his flesh – or was it an emotional thorn – a weakness – or something else? The thorn generally seems to represent that area in our lives where we are prone to stumbling in our walk with Christ.
One of my thorns in the flesh (and I have many) is related to popcorn. Before you laugh, I’ll explain. When my six sisters and I were growing up, our mom made popcorn on Sunday nights while we watched Walt Disney on television. Well, with seven kids, there was never enough popcorn to go around. It was “grab-it-and-stuff-it-into-your mouth.” I never got to the bowl first, it seemed.
Fast forward 30 years and here is what Tom said to me just recently: “I do believe popcorn is your favorite food.” This was as he watched me dive headfirst into the bowl of popcorn and not come up for air for ten minutes.
Ouch. I am embarrassed just writing about it. How many times have my kids said, “Mom, is there any more popcorn?” and I have to admit I ate it all. Perhaps you're thinking, “Lisa, it’s just popcorn. Just make more.” But it’s more than that, isn’t it? Let’s be honest, it’s really the feeling that “I gotta get there first or I’ll get left behind. I won't get any.” I do believe that over the years, this disappointment at being last in line for the popcorn has, in my heart, given birth to resentment and bitterness. Like a stain, this has spread into other areas, in which I sort of got to life’s “bowl of popcorn” last and got stuck with just the duds and the salt. And that thorn in my side has festered and burned as the salt got into the wound.
Does this line of thinking parallel Christ’s thinking? Hardly. Will he leave me behind? No, I’m His child and He loves me. However: can I use this thorn in my flesh – this fear of getting only life’s dud kernels – for God’s glory? You bet I can. It says above that the thorn was given to Paul to prevent him from exalting himself too much. It kept him humble. That giant bowl of popcorn will keep me humble because it represents my thorn of needing to grab first in order that I won't be the last. How pleased will my Lord be if I let someone else go first and I go last instead!
Prayer: Oh God, I know that you understand my fear of being left behind, of being last in line. I know that your word says that “the last shall be first and the first shall be last” (Matthew 20:16). Help me to turn my day over to you moment by moment so that each activity becomes an act of worshipping You first. Sanctify my daily activities so that everything I do is in consideration of pleasing You, Lord.
Slay that Giant: Make a journal entry regarding a habit you wish to break. Give it over to God and watch Him work that thorn out of your flesh.
Scripture Reading: "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure". I Corinthians 12:7
Writing today’s devotional was difficult. I think of a thorn in the flesh as a bad habit, an annoying “thing” that just won't go away. And I find bad habits very hard to break. They are hard for me to admit them to others, as well. But whatever the thorn in our flesh may be – whatever it is that you or I may struggle with – let us take heart that the Lord knows about it and He can help us with it.
As we see in the above verse, the apostle Paul says that “there was GIVEN TO ME a thorn in the flesh” to keep him from being exalted above measure. It was given to him. The thorn was given to him to keep him humble, in other words. Every time he started thinking that the sun shone greater on his part of the world, he got that little stab in the side that reminded him that he was human just like the rest of us – a sinner saved by grace.
Theologians have surmised what was the specific thorn in Paul’s flesh. No one knows for sure. Was it a real thorn – an actual foreign body – embedded in his flesh – or was it an emotional thorn – a weakness – or something else? The thorn generally seems to represent that area in our lives where we are prone to stumbling in our walk with Christ.
One of my thorns in the flesh (and I have many) is related to popcorn. Before you laugh, I’ll explain. When my six sisters and I were growing up, our mom made popcorn on Sunday nights while we watched Walt Disney on television. Well, with seven kids, there was never enough popcorn to go around. It was “grab-it-and-stuff-it-into-your mouth.” I never got to the bowl first, it seemed.
Fast forward 30 years and here is what Tom said to me just recently: “I do believe popcorn is your favorite food.” This was as he watched me dive headfirst into the bowl of popcorn and not come up for air for ten minutes.
Ouch. I am embarrassed just writing about it. How many times have my kids said, “Mom, is there any more popcorn?” and I have to admit I ate it all. Perhaps you're thinking, “Lisa, it’s just popcorn. Just make more.” But it’s more than that, isn’t it? Let’s be honest, it’s really the feeling that “I gotta get there first or I’ll get left behind. I won't get any.” I do believe that over the years, this disappointment at being last in line for the popcorn has, in my heart, given birth to resentment and bitterness. Like a stain, this has spread into other areas, in which I sort of got to life’s “bowl of popcorn” last and got stuck with just the duds and the salt. And that thorn in my side has festered and burned as the salt got into the wound.
Does this line of thinking parallel Christ’s thinking? Hardly. Will he leave me behind? No, I’m His child and He loves me. However: can I use this thorn in my flesh – this fear of getting only life’s dud kernels – for God’s glory? You bet I can. It says above that the thorn was given to Paul to prevent him from exalting himself too much. It kept him humble. That giant bowl of popcorn will keep me humble because it represents my thorn of needing to grab first in order that I won't be the last. How pleased will my Lord be if I let someone else go first and I go last instead!
Prayer: Oh God, I know that you understand my fear of being left behind, of being last in line. I know that your word says that “the last shall be first and the first shall be last” (Matthew 20:16). Help me to turn my day over to you moment by moment so that each activity becomes an act of worshipping You first. Sanctify my daily activities so that everything I do is in consideration of pleasing You, Lord.
Slay that Giant: Make a journal entry regarding a habit you wish to break. Give it over to God and watch Him work that thorn out of your flesh.
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