Reluctant Retiree

It takes courage to stand up for what is right. When we take such a stand, we may look around and find that no one is standing with us. Then it is easy for others to attack us. We have put ourselves in the line of fire.

II Samuel 23 tells us about Eleazar. He was considered one of David’s three mighty men. What made him so special? Samuel says, “And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew.” Eleazar stood up for right, defending his people and being loyal to his leader. David and Eleazar stood alone against the Philistine army. They believed God would deliver them, and He did, giving them a great victory against overwhelming odds.

If you are like me, you don’t consider yourself to be mighty. But empowered by God, we can do mighty works for good. First we must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who believe in Him. Then we must stand up for God and His righteousness. Even though many will oppose us, we must stand up. The blessings will far outweigh the risks.

I am still weak from my battle with COVID a couple weeks ago. I can’t do some of the things that I routinely did before. But even on my best days there are many things that I cannot do. I don’t have enough strength to do some things or enough wisdom to do other things. Most of the time I recognize my deficiencies and don’t try to do these things on my own. But there are plenty of times when I foolishly trust in myself and disaster strikes once again.

Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” When faced with a decision or a problem, too often we trust in ourselves, our money, our street smarts, or our judgment. We generally find that these resources are limited and deceiving. Rarely do they take us where we really want to go.

On the other hand, God promises to give us unlimited power and wisdom. Reliance on His knowledge and strength will definitely take us to the best of all outcomes. Try trusting God with your decisions and troubles. Let Him take you on the preferred path.

A qualified pest inspector looks for evidence of termites or conditions that termites use to damage a building. Rotting wood or water saturated wood are often breeding grounds for these pests. If left untreated the structure of the building can become compromised or sections of the building destroyed. An untrained eye is unaware of the danger lying beneath the surface.

Our souls, spirits and bodies can also hide damage beneath the surface. Unconfessed sin darkens the soul and weakens the spirit. But unconfessed sin can also damage the body. Unconfessed sin leads to fear and anxiety, proven to be agents of harm for the human body. When we try to hide our sins from God, we cut off the source of peace and general well-being.

Psalm 38:3 says, “There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin.” We derive no benefits, only suffering, from unconfessed sin. I John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Confession, however, brings great rewards. God promises to forgive confessed sin and to cleanse us from these unrighteous acts and thoughts.

Give your sins to God today. Trust Him to forgive you and remove all unrighteousness from you. He will take away your sins and restore your body, soul and spirit.

When I was in school, I did well on the exams for which I was prepared, but not as well on the exams for which my preparation was inadequate. Preparation always seemed so mundane. I tried to avoid the boring study work and get right to the challenge of the test. Later in life, I also tried to dismiss the routine tasks of preparation and move directly onto the task at hand. I can’t say that this approach has worked well for me.

The Bible tells a story of how poor preparation caused the disciples to fail Jesus dramatically. On the night in which Jesus was betrayed, He took the disciples up on the mountain to pray. After He had prayed for about an hour, He found them sleeping. Then He warned them by saying, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Later that night, the disciples fled and left Jesus alone to face His accusers. Previously they had boasted that they would follow Jesus, even to death, but now they ran in fear.

What did the disciples miss? They failed to pray and found themselves falling into the temptation of fear. Jesus acknowledged their desire to do the right thing by saying “the spirit is willing.” But He also warned the disciples that trying to do good in their own strength would fail by adding “but the flesh is weak.”

Jesus ‘warning still applies to us today. It is good to have the desire to do good things. But we must prepare ourselves properly by praying and waiting for God’s wisdom. Only by dependence upon Him can we do the good things that we want to do. Only by depending upon Him can we remain strong in the face of temptation.

When I hike through the forests around here, I am continually amazed at the beauty of the trees. I love the colors and the evidence of the strength of the trees. But autumn always comes, and the leaves will eventually wither and fall from the trees, leaving the trees barren and rather weak looking.

Psalm 1 gives a picture of a different tree. This tree never loses its leaves and always bears fruit. The tree represents the person who walks in trust in the Lord. God’s Word fills his soul so much that he delights in it and is constantly meditating upon it. Psalm 1:2-3 says, “but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

Just like this tree, we need water to remain vibrant and fruitful. God’s Word is living water for us. It constantly nourishes and strengthens us. Meditating upon God’s Word will cause us to be fruitful and prosper.

We went to the beach on the east shore of Lake Michigan this morning. I always enjoy the serenity of the seashore. But today the wind was strong and storm clouds were visible on the horizon. We walked out onto the pier but the waves were crashing over the walkway.

Matthew 8 tells the story of the disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat. A great storm arose on the sea, such that the boat was swamped by the waves. Jesus was asleep in the boat. After the disciples woke him up, He rebuked the winds and the sea. Suddenly there was a great calm.

All of us face and will face storms of troubles in our lives. Sometimes they will overwhelm us. Where can we find peace and help through the storms? Psalm 57:1 says, “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.”

Our hope in the midst of troubles is the refuge that God provides. When the storms come we must throw ourselves into the mercies of God. He will cover us in grace and peace. He is our perfect refuge as He has power and authority to rebuke life’s storms and bring great calm.

We often evaluate the quality of a message by the character of the messenger. You wouldn’t buy a used car from a dealership that has demonstrated shady practices. You wouldn’t take financial advice from someone convicted of financial crimes. And you shouldn’t listen to spiritual counsel from someone whose life does not demonstrate spiritual fruit and wisdom.

I Corinthians 9:27 says, “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” As believers in Jesus Christ, we have the most important message to give the world, the truth of salvation in Jesus. To speak this message with sincerity and power, we must be disciplined to live in God’s truth and by His power. Let’s not dilute the powerful message by living undisciplined lives.

I have gone into many buildings, both public and private, and seen a sign restricting access to a room or section of the building. I have even called people on the phone and heard that I cannot speak to the person, because access to them is restricted. It makes me wonder, what are they hiding? Or why are they so important that I don’t have access to them?

While God is available for everyone, only certain people have access to His throne at any time. Romans 5:2 says, “Through him (Jesus) we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” Access to the very throne of Almighty God is given to those who believe in Jesus Christ for salvation and redemption. Access to His throne, therefore, is by faith through Jesus. In this grace and honor we rejoice. Access to God’s throne gives us the privilege of presenting our requests to Him and of hearing His wisdom and direction for our lives.

Why would you want to miss out on access to the most powerful authority in heaven and on earth? God has made this access available to you through Jesus Christ. Don’t miss out on this privilege for another moment. Come to God by faith in Jesus today.

The last few years have brought a whirlwind of change to our lives. We have been living under the constant upheaval of fluctuating health mandates, prices and wages, product availability, and store closures. It is hard to know what to expect from one day to the next. All of us are searching for some sort of stability, a place or situation we can hang onto to make it through the day.

For those who believe in Jesus Christ for salvation and redemption, God becomes the ultimate source of stability. The Bible uses such terms and names for God such as rock, mighty fortress, refuge, shield about me, strong tower, and stronghold. These are names of infinite protection and trustworthiness. God, His Word, and His promises never change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Hebrews 6:17-18 says, “So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.” God cannot lie and He promised to give salvation and an eternal inheritance to all who believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. Those who do believe draw encouragement in God’s unchangeable Word and character.