Reluctant Retiree

Corn grows in abundance in Indiana. It seems like every road you take goes alongside corn fields on both sides. It late summer, early fall, the corn is high and green. Farmers know just what is needed to grow strong and healthy corn. They do everything they can to provide the proper environment for the corn.

Psalm 92:12-13 says, “The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God.” God designed you and me to flourish. To flourish means to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way. But to flourish we need to be in the right environment. God also designed the proper environment for us to flourish, that is we must remain close to Him. We must be connected to Him like the branches are connected to a vine. Without this constant connection we do not have the necessary nourishment to grow. Get and stay connected to the vine, who is Jesus Christ our Lord.

As I am getting older my posture is becoming a little more hunched over. I am doing what I can to prevent this change, but it is a constant battle. I have noticed that a lot of people seem to have the same tendency and it is not always a symptom of aging. Sometimes the burdens that we carry in life translate into our posture and we tend to hunch ourselves.

Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” One of the evidences of love is helping people when we become aware of their needs. Burdens are much lighter for everyone when they are shared. We can impact lives for the good, by simply opening our eyes to the needs around us and letting the love of God be manifested through us by serving others.

It amazes me that our higher institutions are becoming more biased by the day. Just look at our courts and prosecutors’ offices. It has become the norm for decisions to be based upon political ideology rather than equity and justice. We have lost our nonpartisan integrity when it comes to justice.

On an individual level, we are no different. Our opinions are based on selfish and self-centered concerns rather than equity and righteousness. We make decisions about people based upon our personal judgements about their lifestyles, appearance, and whatever else we value, rather than their value as individuals. Our judgments are no better than the courts, because our judgments are just as biased.

Psalm 99:4 says, “The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.” The only person who can judge in purity and righteousness is God. He has no personal bias or political agenda. He just simply wants what is good, true and right. He always judges with equity. He established the basis for justice. We must learn from Him and deal with people in equity from a pure heart. Apart from God’s wisdom our judgments are simply biased opinion rather than equity and justice.

A battery for an electronic device or toy eventually runs out of power and dies. A car only has power when it is in good working order and has plenty of fuel. Human beings have a limited life span that weakens as we get older. Some energy sources are renewable but specific conditions must be met.

Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Using only His spoken word, God created all things. As He led His people out of Egypt, He performed miracle after miracle, including the parting of the Red Sea and stopping the flow of the River Jordan. His power has never diminished.

Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things.” Resurrection Sunday reminds us of God’s great power. It should also remind us that God wants to do great things for us. We should trust Him to use His great power to do great things.

People celebrate Easter in many ways and for many reasons. Most have family gatherings and lots of food. Some will have Easter egg hunts. Many will go to church. Unfortunately, many will simply ignore the significance of this day.

Mark 16 tells the story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some followers of Jesus went to the tomb bringing spices to anoint the body of the crucified Jesus. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb entrance. Then Mark writes, “And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.'”

Easter is not a cute story of bunnies and eggs. It is the life giving and life changing story of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. He did die a horrible death on the cross. And His blood provides the salvation that we all need. But He does not remain dead and in the grave. He is risen indeed! It is His resurrection that gives life to those who believe. It is the resurrection of Jesus that gives us hope for eternity and life today. This is cause for celebration!