Reluctant Retiree

While social media has emboldened many people to voice their thoughts on many subjects, for many this bravado is a facade. What we have to say online, we don’t always feel free to speak about in person. While we promote certain ideas or personality online, they may mask our true selves. In addition, we may become reticent to speak, even online, because of negative feedback we have received.

However, we should never be hesitant or ashamed to speak the truth. Mark 8 :38 says, “For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Truth is not our ideas and opinions, but rather the objective God-given Word. The gospel of Jesus Christ is truth, that man may oppose but God will judge the world under. We cannot deny nor fail to speak this truth.

When we pass through a tunnel, it is dark and we can’t wait to get through the tunnel to the light. We do the same thing mentally. Sometimes we are taken to a dark place in our minds and we are eager to see the light. Depression may afflict us or we may become virtually incapacitated by our problems.

Romans 8:6 says, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” When we find ourselves in the dark places, part of the problem is that we are focused on the wrong things. If we are only thinking about what we want, then we can’t see the light of what God can do. God is light and He gives peace and life. Focusing on our earthly desires will only take us to darkness, with no way into the light.

I live in Indiana and it is winter. Contrary to popular belief, that doesn’t mean that it is always cold and snowy. The weather is variable, sometimes very cold and other times just cold. The snow comes and goes. It covers everything for a while, but sun and above freezing temperatures often melt the snow and we can see the grass again.

So the covering that the snow provides over the ground and vegetation comes and goes. I am so glad that the covering of my sins provided by Jesus is not variable or incomplete in any way. The Bible says that all my sin was nailed to the cross with Jesus. His blood is the permanent covering of my sins, so that the Lord will not ever count my sins. By His sacrifice, my sins are paid for and taken away forever.

Romans 4:7-8 says, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” By this description, I am blessed. You can be too. All it requires is that you confess your sins to the Father and trust in His sacrifice of His own Son for salvation. Turn from your self-centered ways and surrender to His mercy and grace. Join the family of the redeemed and be truly blessed.

There is some debate about warehouse stores. Some people don’t like them. But most of us appreciate the values that are available. Why just get something you need or want, when you can get a lot of the items you want? Why just get a gallon of ice cream when the warehouse store sells five gallon buckets? We are a country of excess, so the warehouse stores serve our feeding frenzy.

God maintains a warehouse also. It is not a physical location, God’s Warehouse is His infinite nature. God is infinite, so each of His attributes is unlimited. For example, God’s love is infinite and eternal. Psalm 31:19 speaks of another of God’s unlimited attributes when it says, “Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!” Goodness is available in an unlimited supply within the nature of God. He has an abundance for every one of His children.

But how do we tap into the infinite goodness of God? The verse says that God gives it to those who fear Him, that is those who trust Him and believe in His sovereignty. He is good to all, but His goodness is especially given to those who honor Him with their lives. Of all the things we could want to receive in large quantities, God’s goodness should be at the top of our list.

We are familiar with the concept of memorial stones. Stones are carved out and engraved to remember loved ones who have passed. Oftentimes plaques are attached to large stones and placed at the site of historical events. Sometimes stones are engraved with information on businesses occupying a particular location.

As I get older, memories play a bigger part of my life. I enjoy looking through photo albums or digital photos to remember special events. Family pictures help me to relive highlights of years passed. If we didn’t have photos and mementos from our past, it would be difficult to enjoy the good times in remembrance.

God commanded the Israelites to make altars periodically to commemorate the great works that He did on their behalf. One such memorial is described in Joshua 4:6-7; “When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” God had just miraculously stopped the flow of the Jordan River. All the people of Israel had crossed the Jordan safely on dry land. Once they were on the other side, they made an altar of stones taken from the middle of the river. The altar remained on the site to remind the people of what God had done.

When troubles come our way, we can become hardened by the circumstances. Remembering what God has done for us in the past gives us strength and hope to face current and future struggles. I do not have masonry skills, so I use pictures as memorials. Perhaps you have carpentry abilities to build memorials. Maybe you have crafting skills to make awesome memorials. These memorials bring light to the darkness that can surround us. Get started today so that tomorrow may look a little brighter.