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Growing Old
Andrea Lende • July 17, 2020
Psalm 92:14
Growing Old
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Growing-Old-egstmk
Daily Word:
Psalm 92:14
“[Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment].”
It seems that I am looking for encouragement every time I open up the Word these days.
And, I am thankful that I always find it.
As I was reading in the book of Psalms today, I read our very encouraging verse.
There are times that I question how much the Lord can use me given my age.
I see so many people offering up words of encouragement in Christ who are younger and more resilient and wonder what I have to offer.
My insecurities get louder and louder and scream that I am not good enough.
I’m too old.
There is not enough time left to make a difference.
And then I read this: “[Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment].”
The phrase, “[Growing in grace]”
is an amazing phrase.
Grace has many different meanings in the Bible: divine favor, mercy, loving-kindness, spiritual blessing, earthly blessings, and of course, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
I can see God’s grace more and more and it grows and compounds more and more as I age.
I see and experience His grace everywhere.
The next part of the verse says, “they shall still bring forth fruit in old age”.
I am thankful that even though I am getting older, God is still producing good things in me.
He isn’t leaving me for someone younger and full of life to speak His truths.
He is putting life in me – planting and harvesting more fruit in me even as I age.
The next phrase, “they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality]”, continues to encourage me.
So, as we age our spiritual life is full of vitality – meaning strong and active and full of energy.
Once again, I am encouraged!
The last phrase, “[rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment]”, means that as we age our spiritual life is full of freshness.
We don’t become dull and lifeless, but the Lord continues to bless us with a fresh and alive spiritual life.
These words today make me look forward to the future and what is possible in God’s kingdom as I age.
I surely needed all the encouragement that our verse today has given me.
The Lord always gives me what I need.
I did a little more studying than I usually do regarding the words in today’s verse because I could see that God was really speaking to my fears, reservations, and concerns as of late.
Today I choose to be confident in who I am and the age that I am as I share the messages He puts on my heart.
May you find that God will speak to you in a most gentle and intimate way as you spend time with Him.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for speaking life into my spirit today. Thank You for calming my fears and encouraging me as I read Your Word. Thank You for the precious Word that You brought me to this day. Thank You for the perfect Word at the perfect time. Please continue to increase my faith in You, Lord. There is an endless supply of Your mercy and grace as I have need. Thank You, Lord, for providing everything I need at just the right time. May Your Holy Spirit fill me so that I can go out in the world and do Your work. Lead and guide my every step, Father. Light the path that I must go and give me the courage to walk in Your will. Strengthen me in every way. It seems every day I need more strength and courage to keep moving in the direction You have planned for me to go. Thank You for continuing to meet every need, Lord. Help me do Your will, Lord. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you, My child, and will equip you in every way to do as I ask.
Response: Thank You, Almighty and All-Powerful God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.