it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment - Hebrews 9:27
I read a recent quote from Barrack Obama. It had to do with men and their getting older. He said (my paraphrase) that when men get old they start to think about their death and irrelevance. [end quote] I assume that he included himself among those men. I am familiar with a similar saying about Generals. "Old Generals don't die, they just fade away." That is when people ask, "Whatever happened to so-and-so?" They are no long part of the cultural picture. Disappeared from the scene. In my experience, what Mr. Obama said is true. When men are young they think about the future and living. But at some point they begin to think about the temporary nature of life - the finality of death that is looming and being the proverbial hand in the bucket of water. When the hand is removed and the water settles down, you would never know the hand was ever in the bucket.
Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. And he said to them: “I am one hundred and twenty years old today. I can no longer go out and come in. Also the Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’ The Lord your God Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over before you, just as the Lord has said. - Deuteronomy 31:1-3
Moses found himself - after doing everything that he had done - eternally significant things - he was done - becoming irrelevant. So he was passing the mantle to Joshua. BTW, even though the Lord told Moses he was not going to cross the Jordan with the people, he would stand on the Mount of Transfiguration one day next to Elijah and Jesus - along with Peter, James and John.
I have written before about my dismay with older Christians being put out to pasture by churches today. The idea being that ministry is for the young. At some point the older Christians should step aside. Make room for the next generation. Not that room should not be made - just like it was for us. But that does not mean that the older generation does not have a spiritual contribution that can yet be made. In fact, what I have experienced as I have watched my hair turn from Red to Blond-ish to White (skipped over grey) is that what the Lord has me doing has changed - but so long as I have breath - He has a purpose for me. My ministry is not done - it is just different. As far as I know my life does not have a "must use by" date on it.
What I am physically able to do has changed. I tell people that when we first went to Mississippi in response to Hurricane Katrina I would heft a 90lb bag of concrete and carry it to the truck. By the time the season for us being in Mississippi had passed, 5 years later, I was putting 2-45lb bags of concrete in a cart to take to the truck. As King Solomon wrote - there is a season for everything.
So - what is my point to all of this. Like Moses, at some point we will no longer be physically able to serve as we once did. And while the church you attend may want to shuffle you off to a room full of people who look like you - respectfully wanting you to stay out of the way - that does not mean that God is done with you - that He doesn't want to or can't use you any more.
Don't look to the world for relevance and acceptance - look up! Barrack Obama was speaking from a secular - humanistic point of view. God has an eternal purpose for you and He will decide when you are done.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11
I tell people that I plan to burn out - not rust out! And the question that I have for God is this, "What's next Lord?"
How about you?
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
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