Trivia:
Can you guess what the national fruit of the U.S. is? Is it Watermellon; or maybe Blueberry; or how bout Apple; OR Orange. Make your guess.
Can you guess what the Silhouettes, an American doo wop R & B group told their followers what get? A Dream; or a Clue; or job; or just pass. Make your guess.
Challenge:
Psalm 71:7-12 "My life is an example to many, because you have been my strength and protection. 8 That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long. 9 And now, in my old age, don't set me aside. Don't abandon me when my strength is failing. 10 For my enemies are whispering against me. They are plotting together to kill me. 11 They say, "God has abandoned him, Let's go and get him, for no one will help him now." 12 O God, don't stay away. My God, please hurry to help me."
In this chapter David has instructed us about the wisdom and the pitfalls of growing older. We learned yesterday just how to keep from falling into confusion. Like Isaiah said in 26:3 "Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee,"
Then we learned the key to thinking young, in verse 2,3; to make the Lord our strength and hope.
Next verse 4 by facing our daily battles by facing our on coming battles, one step at a time and with going to God for His daily solutions.
Verse 5, was designed to teach us to look to God for His saving strength, and keeping power for he is worthy of our trust.
Now today we move into verses 6-8 and we learn that the truth of greatest importance is to rather than finishing life by complaining about your aches and pains or the sad state of todays society, to rather choose to talk about the Lord continually.
The key to growing old gracefully and faithfully is to remember that important phrase in Matthew 12:34 "Whatever is in your heart determines what you say." We need to determine to never fail in telling of the reasons that we should praise our gracious, all knowing, glorious Father. To begin our day by pouring His words into hearts and minds, then the natural outflow will be that our heart and mind will be filled words of His praise.
Finally in verses 9-12 David learned that though he didn't have the strength of his youth, he was safe in the arms and presence of the "Strong One".
Now if you are of the mind and thinking that as your get older, life will become easier, well as my mom used to say, "Son you got another think a coming." No. The enemies gain in strength and in influence, but "So will the Lord, my saint, if we as verse 12 says, Cry out to God in our prayers, "My God, please hurry to help me." When we learn that the very essence of our strength is in our God, not in our own abilities.
SO GO WITH GOD my fellow believer, learn to recognize your earthly tendency to diminish in human strength, but to learn that the weapons of our warfare are no longer our human strength, but rather the power and might of our Loving Savior. When we take the time to put on the weapons of our faith or as my friend Sheldon Steward says it, "Man Up" then we will become men, women, and children of valor.
Watermelon & Job