Reluctant Retiree

If you drive through Indiana you will notice that the corn fields are fully planted to the extent possible. Farmers would be fools to sow seeds in only a small section of their farmland and expect it to yield a bountiful crop. They sow seeds in all their farmland in order to reap the largest yield possible.

II Corinthians 9:6 says, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” This principle is true in so many areas of life. If we expect to have friends, we must sow the seeds of friendliness. If we expect to receive kindness from others, we must sow the seeds of kindness with them. If we expect to receive help from people, we must sow the seeds of helpfulness. We must sow generously into the lives of others before we can expect to reap the fruit of our generosity.

The weather forecast was somewhat foreboding when I started my morning hike. The prediction called for 90% chance of rain and snow. Yet, I was convinced that God wanted me to take the hike. So I started out, taking an umbrella and wearing an overcoat. My heart was calm and I had a sense that the rain would hold off. Several times during the hike I thought of taking a short extended detour. But I didn’t have the same peace about adding steps to my journey today. It felt like I would be tempting God by adding steps that He had not approved. So I completed the 7 mile hike without even opening the umbrella.

Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.” The only right course in life is to delight in God’s ways and to follow His steps. If we take any other path, we leave God’s protection and are left to blindly walk in our own limited vision.

As we get older we fall into certain rhythms of life. We wake up and get ready for work or school, knowing the way and what we will do when we get there. It can become mechanical, until life strikes and something new comes our way. The pandemic and other world events have caused many of us to question why we do what we do. Is it just fate or am I making daily decisions that impact what I do or why?

Joshua 24:14-15 says, “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will sere the Lord.”

The reality is that every day we make decisions about whom we will serve. Most of us choose to selfishly serve ourselves at these decision points. Some may choose to serve the gods that are passed down from generation to generation. These gods include greed, lust, drugs, pride, anger, and others. Some mindlessly choose to serve the gods of their ancestors.

The one true God, who created all things, calls us to serve Him in sincerity and faithfulness. As for me and my house, we choose to serve Him because He is worthy of all honor and praise.

Have you ever began to read a novel and decided to look at the end of the book to see how it ends, even though you have not yet read the whole book? Sometimes we do the same thing with movies. We fast forward to see who dies and who lives, or find some other main story line. We all want to know how the story ends.

Those who love God and believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Redeemer know the end of the story. We know how history ends because it is written in God’s Word. And we know the end of the story, even as we go through struggles.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” God promises that He will work all things out for good, even when we are going through hard times. The hard times are admittedly not enjoyable, but as we endure these times in His grace, we find that they develop character in us and good for us in the end. As we see God work out things for good, that enables us to trust Him more in the future hard times. God is good and is always doing good. Because He is faithful we can trust Him to fulfill His promise to do good.

Medicine comes in the form of a tablet, capsule, pill, or liquid. In these inheritantly weak forms, the medicines carry strong ingredients designed to do healing and curing within our bodies. Bullets are small and easily destroyed, but carry the power to destroy. Small seeds of grain grow into the food that transforms into energy and growth for our bodies. The point is that great power is often disguised in small or weak packages.

II Corinthians 4:7 says, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” Our bodies are weak and decaying throughout life. God uses these weak vessels to demonstrate His power through us. Those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior have the Spirit of God within them. As such, we constitute the most powerful people on the planet.