A Psalm for the "Old & Gray"

Psalm 71:18....

"Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come. " (NKJV)

I was struck by a couple of words he (assuming David wrote this) said. "...do not forsake me until... "; as if God would ultimately "forsake" him! Now, I haven't performed a formal exegesis on this passage of Scripture, but I would argue that the psalmist meant ....don't take me out of this world until I've had a chance to leave a holy mark on it! Lord, make whatever days I have left COUNT!! That's Steve-egesis। In Psalm 71, David recognized his good education and instruction in the Lord, as a young man. While he was still in the world he craved the opportunity to "live for Christ"! I wonder if it is irony that, in my personal study bible, this is just across the page from Paul's passage, in Philippians, where he states ..."for to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain!" (Philippians 1:21)

Both the psalmist and the Apostle Paul recognized something as they got older. I think it is something you and I recognize, or at least are beginning to recognize, as we, too, get older. Our lives are less about "us" and should be more about the legacy we'll leave. Now, I don't believe that the focus of our living should be wrapped around "leaving a legacy", for the sake of legacy. That might border on idolatry, itself. Nonetheless, you and I will leave a legacy of some. At this point, I am less concerned about my post-mortem reputation as I am concerned about what mark we, as little Christ', leave in our circle of influence in the world! I'm no Billy Graham ....and unless the Lord truly performs a miracle, I probably never will be. I'm ok with that. There are, at the very least, 4 people whom I have immediate influence ...and maybe countless others that I may not even mean to.

Five Steps To A Powerful Prayer Life

Do you feel like you have a prayer-life that hits the ceiling, and falls right back to the ground? That is not God's design or desire! "The fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much!" The question is, what is the condition of your heart when you talk to, and listen for, God? Psalm 63 gives us five steps to a powerful prayer life.

Psalm 63:1-3
1O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
2So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
3Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

1. LORD ;"You are my God; Early will I seek You"
   The word "early", in Hebrew refers to "dawn" ....seek diligently. Recognize that He is Lord. We don't come to a lifeless deity in our prayer, but to a "living" God!
2. LONG ;"My soul thirsts ...my flesh longs" - used in KJV many times to "suffer thirst". Have you ever been really thirsty? I mean so thirsty that even the first drink of cool water still leaves your mouth parched. You're dehydrated! You must have more, to quench your thirst.
3. LOOK ;"So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory." - Hebrew; to "pine" after. God will not be found near sin! Look for Him where "He" is; in His holy place!
4. LOVE ;"Because Your lovingkindness is better than life." - Mercy, kindness, goodness, favour! Remember, He loved you first! You can't out-give Him, and you won't out-love Him! He sent His Son to die for you! Hold that thought while you pray!
5. LAUD ;"My lips shall praise You." - or my language shall praise You! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!!

Heart-Seeking Missle

God's Love Through Christ' Grace
　
"For God so loved the world......." I wonder if we really get it? Clearly, not everyone gets it, or they'd have it; Christ' love, that is! God's love, through Jesus Christ, is like a "heat-seeking missle"; or maybe more aptly, "a heart-seeking missle". You've seen the war movies. These missles are launched, and seek out a heat signal. It knows no favorites. God's love, through His Son's sacrifice, is like that. God created all of us. It is not His will that "anyone" should perish (2 Peter 3:9).

The Apostle Paul said (in Romans 5:8) "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Christ has, and is, doing everything possible to draw us to Him. He's made every door open, and made Himself available to us, even unto His own death. I've been asked, more than once, "why is it so hard?" In other words, why does God make it so difficult to "be saved"? I believe Scripture proves, over and over, that He does not make it hard. It is, in fact, very simple. Scripture makes it clear ..."That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." There are no ifs, ands, or buts in that sentence.

The question really is ..are we willing. Are you willing? It's a step of faith. God is not going to push Himself on us. At the same time, He is a sovereign, sinless, God. That means He is all-powerful, and a just God; a Holy God. To allow "sin" in His presence would minimize His God-liness. Scripture says (Romans 3:23) "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". The prophet Isaiah made it clear, even long before Christ' birth "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." (Isaiah 59:2)

Don't expect a sin-less, perfect, loving, all-knowing, all-powerful, God to just wave off sin. He is a "just" God. Sin has a cost, and that price must be paid. That's what Jesus did for you, and for me, and for "all" who will believe and receive it.

God is seeking you. He told Jeremiah "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jer. 29:13) Are you willing to surrender your pride, and entrust yourself to Him? Will you seek Him with all your heart? Just A.S.K.! Accept that you were born a sinner, and that you need a Savior to forgive that sin. Surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Keep surrendering to Him each day.

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