Reluctant Retiree

When I am hiking I think about the ultimate victory of reaching my destination, but I am also careful with each step along the way. Each step can bring its own set of dangers. Icy paths and holes can trip me up and can cause me to fail in reaching my destination. Observing the dangers and taking prudent steps helps me to go where I want to go.

Life is similar. If we take the right steps, though they may seem small, we make progress to where we want to go. If we, however, take the wrong steps, we are sidetracked and may never reach the goal.

I John 5:4-5 says, “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” Small steps of faith and obedience to God lead to great victory. Small steps of disobedience and unbelief lead to resounding defeat. If we want to overcome our failings, weaknesses, and sins, we must begin with believing that Jesus is the Son of God. Then,by taking small steps of faith we will find the victory and freedom we desire.

Many times Jesus spoke in story format to describe God’s kingdom and His relationship with people. In John 10 Jesus uses a picture of sheep to illuminate His relationship with His people. He said, “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”

In this account, Jesus is the Shepherd and His disciples are the sheep. Jesus knows each of His disciples intimately and calls them by name. He goes before them to protect them and lead them in the way that they should go. The disciples know His voice and follow Him.

If you do not hear God’s voice, perhaps you have not drawn close to God and followed Him where He leads. We must stay close to the Shepherd in order to hear Him. We must diligently follow Him to not cut off our ability to hear Him. Wayward sheep become lost with no means of returning to the Shepherd without the saving intervention of the Shepherd.

Different occasions call for different attire. Going to the beach requires different clothing than going skiing in the mountains. Working on a construction site requires us to dress differently than when we go to a wedding. We understand that to be useful and accepted at various locations and events we must clothe ourselves properly. I, for one, usually ask my wife if I am dressed properly for certain occasions.

Psalm 149:4-5 says, “For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds.” On judgment day, only those who are dressed properly will enter into heaven and God’s glory. We must be adorned with the clothes of salvation. God gives these clothes to those who humbly trust in Him for salvation and redemption. Only the humble person, trusting in God, will enter into His glory. And when we do enter into His presence, a great celebration will take place called the Feast of the Lamb of God.

I pray that you will be there. Please humble yourself before God, confess your waywardness, and accept God’s gift of salvation. Receive the adornment that He has prepared for you. Join in the celebration.

We are a people of immediacy. We expect things to be done quickly and immediately. When we go into a business, we want immediate attention and quick delivery of what we want. When we call or text someone we expect them to answer and respond now, not even five minutes later.

Most of the time it is pretty unreasonable to expect people to comply with our desire for immediacy. The store has other customers to serve. People have other things going on and can’t always answer the phone or respond quickly.

Psalm 145:18 says, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” If we call upon God with a sincere heart, desiring to know Him, God stands nearby and eager to answer our call. God is not a vending machine or our puppet to give us whatever we ask. But we can be assured that He understands our needs, sympathizes with our pains, and will do whatever is best for us. Don’t complain that God seems far away. He is in fact near to you, waiting for your call. Call Him now!

When I was young my father had many faults, but he always kept his promises to me. If he said we would go to the LA Rams football game on Sunday, we went to that game when Sunday arrived. I tried to make sure that I kept my promises to my children based upon my dad’s good example.

Look around and you will easily find the damages of broken promises. Marriages are destroyed by broken promises. Politicians are disgraced by failing to keep their words. Anger and violence often occur when people fail to keep promises.

Psalm 145:13 says, “The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.” God has never failed to keep all of His promises to every person who has ever lived. And He will never fail to keep His promises to you. All of God’s works come out of His heart of kindness.