Reluctant Retiree

My wife and I have lived in at least two places where there was a lot of environmental noise. Our first apartment was next to a bus stop on a busy metropolitan street. Later we lived in a house that backed up to a railroad line. Visitors always noticed the noise and commented about it. But after a short time in each place we were able to ignore and tune out these outside noises.

I think that we all become good at tuning out the noises we don’t like, so that we can hear the noises that we want to hear. We are successful at tuning out surrounding conversations and music played over the sound system in order to hear the voices of people sitting at our table in a restaurant.

However, we need to be careful about what we tune into and what we tune out. For instance, we probably want to hear what our spouse is saying while tuning out a loud neighbor.

Hebrews 3:7-8 says, “Today you must listen to his (God’s) voice. Don’t harden your hearts against him as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested God’s patience in the wilderness.” We must listen carefully to every word God speaks to us, through the Bible, through circumstances, through godly friends, and by His Spirit within us. Every time we ignore or reject His voice, we tune Him out a little more. Eventually we will not hear Him when He speaks to us, like how we were able to tune out the trains and busses. By doing this, we will effectively harden our hearts to God’s voice. Saying “maybe” or “later” to God is not acceptable to Him. Only an immediate submissive response is what He desires.

When we are suffering, well-meaning people often say, “I understand!” Some may truly understand as they have gone through similar afflictions. But for others is just sentiment and no real comfort.

Hebrews 2:17-18 says, “Therefore, it is necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. He then could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted.”

Jesus became just like us in every way so that He could do two things for us. He was thus able to offer the perfect and complete sacrifice of His own life in order to take away our sins. And He is able to help us when we are tempted and suffering because He was tempted in every way, but did not sin. He understands our sufferings in every aspect because He suffered in the same ways. When Jesus offers sympathy and help, we receive real understanding and effective assistance.

The death sentence was finally declared. Our washing machine is officially dead. We have a home warranty, so they have been trying to fix it for eight months. But now, they have given up and will get us a new machine. This is both good and bad news. The good news is that we get a new washer. The bad news is that the new machines don’t last as long. The appliance salesman called it planned obsolescence, the manufacturer’s practice of ensuring shorter machine life and making us buy new machines more often.

It seems like very few things last as long as they used to. We move from house to house more often. Our clothes wear out even before they go out of style. Relationships seem to come and go. Hardly anyone stays in the same job as long as we used to. I even get frustrated when my daily routines get interrupted.

Where can we go to find a sure thing, something or someone who never changes? Hebrews 1:10-12 says, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”

God never changes. He has no need to change. He is, always has been, and forever will be perfectly holy, loving, merciful, and just. He is always faithful to His promises, His Word, and His nature.

But notice the warning in these verses! Everything we see, everything we hold dear, and everything we trust in this world will perish. Earth will wear out and be discarded like worn out clothing. Only God will remain and remain unchangeable. But He will also gather His people to Himself for eternity. Those who have trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation and redemption will live forever in the presence of Almighty God.

This is the God who is worthy of our worship. This is the God worthy of our trust. This is the God worthy of living for always and evermore.

Everywhere I go I see people with headphones or earphones covering their ears. They may be listening to music or books or just tuning out the noise around them. On top of that, it seems that every place of business is playing music over their sound system. Outside we hear traffic and construction noises. Even inside our own homes televisions blare out the voices of politicians, opinionated commentators, etc. constantly. We are forever bathed in noise.

But are we listening to the right things. In Isaiah 55:3 God says, “Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant.” When we don’t know what we should do, do we go to other people for advice? Or do we search God’s Word for the truth? Do we even bother to ask God for wisdom and help? Or do we rely on our own limited understanding? Do the loud and constant voices of people drown out the truth found in God’s voice?

In God’s voice we find truth, love, mercy, and everlasting life. In God’s voice we receive salvation, redemption, healing, hope, and freedom. Seek God’s voice today. Search His Word for wisdom and truth. He desires to make an everlasting covenant with you.

We all make mistakes and fail occasionally. Whether it be our vocational progress, financial well-being, social interactions, or physical health, we can feel like we are taking one step forward and falling two steps backwards. It is at times like this that our character is revealed.

The apostle Paul experienced this feeling as well. In Philippians 3:13-14 he wrote: “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

When we make a mistake or sin against God, it is important to learn from these failures. We should then put the mistakes behind us and confess our sins to God for Him to forgive us and cleanse us from them. Then we should press on to growth, especially to grow in becoming more like Christ. We can’t successfully grow without trusting in God’s power to empower us to become more like Jesus.