Today, I turn seventy-eight years old.
I never imagined that I would live this long. My mother died when she was only forty-seven, and my father died at fifty-nine. I have lived many years beyond either of them, and I do not take those years for granted.
Moses wrote:
“The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years…”
—Psalm 90:10 (KJV)
The Lord has already carried me eight years beyond threescore and ten. If, by His strength and according to His will, I reach eighty, I will consider those additional years another gracious gift from God. With all the health problems I face, I do not know whether I will reach that milestone. But then, none of us knows how many days remain.
The Bible reminds us:
“Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”
—Proverbs 27:1 (KJV)
I cannot boast about tomorrow, but I can thank God for today.
Looking Back Over Seventy-Eight Years
As I look back over my life, I can see the hand of the Lord guiding me through circumstances I did not understand at the time. There were roads I would not have chosen, doors I did not expect to open, and disappointments that seemed unbearable. Yet the Lord knew where He was taking me.
There were times when I had no idea how a situation would end. I could not see around the bend in the road, but God could. I could not understand His plan, but He was already preparing the way.
I can now say:
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.”
—Psalm 37:23–24 (KJV)
I have stumbled more than once. I have made poor decisions, misunderstood the Lord’s direction, and sometimes allowed my own will to interfere with His. But even when I stumbled, the Lord did not abandon me. His hand was still beneath me.
If I have remained standing, it is not because I have always been strong. It is because the Lord has upheld me.
I Have Never Been Forsaken
David said:
“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”
—Psalm 37:25 (KJV)
I understand those words better today than I did when I was young.
There have been lean years and uncertain times. There were moments when I did not know how a need would be met. Yet the Lord always made a way. I have never been forsaken, and I have never been left without the necessities of life.
God did not always give me everything I wanted, but He faithfully supplied what I needed. Many times, He provided far more than I deserved or expected.
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
—Philippians 4:19 (KJV)
The Lord has supplied my material needs, but His greatest provisions cannot be measured in dollars. He has given me salvation, forgiveness, family, friends, opportunities to serve, and the privilege of sharing the Gospel. He has given strength when I was weak, peace when I was troubled, and hope when circumstances appeared hopeless.
God Has Been My Rock
I have no idea what the next few years of my life will bring. My health is not what it once was. My steps are slower, my strength is less, and my body reminds me daily that I am getting older.
But there is one truth I cannot deny: God has been my Rock and my Salvation.
“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust.”
—Psalm 18:2 (KJV)
The storms have come, but the Rock has remained. Trials have shaken many things around me, but they have never shaken the faithfulness of God.
He has been my shelter when the winds of adversity were blowing. He has been my comfort in sorrow, my strength in weakness, and my companion in lonely places. When I could not see the road ahead, He was already there.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
—Psalm 46:1 (KJV)
Notice that the Scripture does not merely say God was our help or that He will someday become our help. He is “a very present help.” He is with us here and now, in whatever we are facing.
His Mercy Has Been Greater Than My Failures
When I think about seventy-eight years of life, I am not celebrating my goodness. I am celebrating God’s goodness.
I know my failures. I remember the times when I lacked understanding and wisdom. I know there were occasions when I spoke too quickly, acted without praying enough, or failed to recognize what God was trying to teach me.
Yet the Lord has been patient with me. He has shown me mercy when judgment would have been deserved. He has extended grace when I had nothing to offer Him in return.
“It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”
—Lamentations 3:22–23 (KJV)
For seventy-eight years, every morning has arrived carrying fresh mercy from God. I used yesterday’s mercy yesterday, but when I awakened this morning, there was new mercy waiting for me.
I have tested the Lord’s patience many times, but I have never exhausted His compassion.
I Cannot Take Credit for the Good
If I have accomplished anything worthwhile, it is because the Lord enabled me. If my ministry has helped anyone, it was the Lord who touched the heart. If something I wrote brought encouragement, conviction, or hope, the glory belongs to God.
Jesus said:
“Without me ye can do nothing.”
—John 15:5 (KJV)
That verse leaves no room for boasting.
Any good that has come through my life has flowed from the goodness of God. I am only an earthen vessel. The treasure belongs to Him.
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
—2 Corinthians 4:7 (KJV)
I do not understand why the Lord called me into the ministry or why He allowed me the privilege of serving Him for so many years. I do not understand why He has opened doors for the Gospel or permitted my words to reach people in places I may never visit.
I only know that He has been gracious.
Growing Older With Hope
Growing older brings changes that are not always easy to accept. The body weakens. Friends and loved ones pass away. Tasks that were once simple become difficult. We become increasingly aware that our journey on earth is drawing toward its conclusion.
But for the child of God, growing older does not mean growing hopeless.
Paul wrote:
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”
—2 Corinthians 4:16 (KJV)
My outward man may be wearing down, but my hope is not built upon physical strength. My hope is in Jesus Christ. Whether the Lord gives me two more years, ten more years, or only today, I belong to Him.
I want the years that remain to count for the Gospel. I want to encourage the discouraged, warn those who are drifting, comfort those who are hurting, and point the lost toward Jesus Christ.
I cannot change the years behind me, but I can dedicate the days ahead of me to the Lord.
The prayer of Moses has become increasingly personal:
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
—Psalm 90:12 (KJV)
We number our days not so that we may live in fear of dying, but so that we may understand the importance of living faithfully.
My Testimony at Seventy-Eight
Today, on my seventy-eighth birthday, this is my testimony:
God has been faithful.
He has been better to me than I have been to Him. He has forgiven my sins, carried my burdens, supplied my needs, directed my steps, and stood beside me through every storm.
I am not worthy of His blessings, but His blessings were never based upon my worthiness. They were based upon His mercy, His grace, and His love.
Like Samuel, I can raise my Ebenezer and say:
“Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.”
—1 Samuel 7:12 (KJV)
The same God who helped me yesterday is with me today. The God who brought me through seventy-eight years will not abandon me during the years or days that remain.
I do not know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds me.
When my earthly journey is finished, my greatest hope will not be that people remember my name. My hope is that they remember the Savior I tried to proclaim. I want them to know that Jesus Christ saves sinners, strengthens the weary, comforts the brokenhearted, and remains faithful until the end.
I am seventy-eight years old today. I am older, slower, and perhaps a little more aware of my limitations. But I am also more convinced than ever that the Lord is good.
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
—Psalm 23:6 (KJV)
I do not know how many more earthly birthdays I will celebrate. But today, I thank the Lord for every year, every blessing, every lesson, every trial He brought me through, and every opportunity He has given me to serve Him.
Seventy-eight years of life.
Seventy-eight years of mercy.
Seventy-eight years of grace.
And through every one of them, God has been faithful.
To Him alone belongs all the honor, all the praise, and all the glory.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.”
—Psalm 103:1 (KJV)
No comments:
Post a Comment