Daily Living for Seniors

[Judy Harder]

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ... Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. --2 Timothy 2:1, 3

A Soviet cosmonaut returned to Earth from outer space on December 29, 1987 after 326 days in orbit. He was surprisingly in good health which isn't always the case in these types of record-breaking expeditions.

Just five years earlier, two cosmonauts touched down after 211 days in space. Thereafter, they suffered from dizziness, high pulse rates, and heart palpitations. For over a week, they couldn't walk. And after 30 days, they will still undergoing physical therapy for atrophied muscles and weakened hearts.

At zero gravity in space, the body's muscles begin to deteriorate because there is no resistance as there is when gravity is present on Earth. To counteract this problem, the Soviets developed and prescribed a rigorous exercise program for the cosmonauts.

They invented "penguin suits"--running suits laced with elastic bands--that resist every move the cosmonauts make so that they have to exert more strength when exercising. This regimen, used today, helps those traveling in space to avoid the difficulties earlier cosmonauts faced.

As believers, we so often long for days without difficulty and hardships. But God knows better. The easier our life is, the weaker our spiritual fiber becomes. It is by exerting our strength through difficult times that we can grow and withstand whatever life throws our way.

So let us "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-2).

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Thank God for the rigorous life exercises you face. Pray that He will use them to strengthen you for what's ahead.
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[Judy Harder]

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.  --Ephesians 1:7-8

Senator Mark Hatfield once recounted the following historical story:

"James Garfield was a lay preacher and principal of his denominational college. They say he was ambidextrous and could simultaneously write Greek with one hand and Latin with the other.

"In 1880, he was elected president of the United States, but after only six months in office, he was shot in the back with a revolver. He never lost consciousness. At the hospital, the doctor probed the wound with his little finger to seek the bullet. He couldn't find it, so he tried a silver-tipped probe. Still he couldn't locate the bullet.

"They took Garfield back to Washington, D.C. Despite the summer heat, they tried to keep him comfortable. He was growing very weak. Teams of doctors tried to locate the bullet, probing the wound over and over.

"In desperation, they asked Alexander Graham Bell, who was working on a little device called the telephone, to see if he could locate the metal inside the president's body. He came, he sought, and he too failed.

"The president hung on through July, through August, but in September he finally died--not from the wound but from infection. The repeated probing, which the physicians thought would help the man, eventually killed him."

The same is true with people who dwell too long on their sin and refuse to release it to God. Satan creeps into their lives and takes control. Just like an infection, their sin eventually takes over their being.

But Jesus said of his sacrifice on the cross, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:28).

Because of His sacrifice, the infection of sin can be stopped. Release your sin to the Savior, and find complete forgiveness in Him.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Recognize and release your sin before the Lord today in prayer.
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[Judy Harder]

[Jesus said:] "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." --Acts 1:8

In his book, Pastoral Renewal, Charles Simpson wrote:

"I met a young man not long ago who dives for exotic fish for aquariums. He said one of the most popular aquarium fish is the shark.

"He explained that if you catch a small shark and confine it, it will stay a size proportionate to the aquarium. Sharks can be six inches long yet fully matured. But if you turn them loose in the ocean, they grow to their normal length of eight feet.

"That also happens to some Christians. I've seen the cutest little six-inch Christians who swim around in a little puddle. But if you put them into a larger arena--into the whole creation--only then can they become great."

Jesus commanded all believers to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything [he has] commanded" (Matthew 28:19-20).

There is no room to grow inside the walls of a Sunday School classroom, church building, or your own home. We have been called to go outside of those walls and reach out to the lost world that needs to know Jesus.

Get involved in doing missions and evangelism in your neighborhood, city, or state through your church, local seniors group, or Bible study class. If you are physically unable to get involved, become a prayer warrior for the cause of Christ. Your prayers are needed both on and off the mission field.

Get out of the puddle you've been swimming in, and take your faith to a larger arena--the world.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Pray that God would open the doors for you to reach out to those who are lost in your Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.
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[Judy Harder]

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. --Philippians 3:8

In a publication put out by Wycliffe Bible Translators called, In Other Words, a story was published about Sadie Sieker, a lady who served for many years as a house-parent for missionaries' children in the Philippines.

Sadie loved books. She would gladly loan out some on occasion, but there were others that she treasured and kept tucked away in a footlocker under her bed.

One night, when all had gone to bed and everything was quiet, Sadie heard a faint gnawing sound. She searched her room for the source of the sound, but then suddenly realized it was come from her footlocker underneath her bed.

When she opened it, she found only a huge pile of dust. All the precious books she had kept hidden away for herself had been lost to a band of termites. Sadie learned a valuable lesson that night--what we give away, we keep. What we hoard, we lose.

Matthew 6:19-21 says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Jesus exhorts us not to value possessions or keep them selfishly locked away. If your heart is focused on possessions, money, security, friendships, or something else, the Lord will take it all away. He wants your full attention, offerings, and all of your possessions.

Jesus' words strike at the very heart of human selfishness. We are all selfish by nature, so we must daily seek to give all that we have and our lives (see Luke 17:33, John 12:25) to Him, so He can fully use us for His glory and receive His blessings.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Through prayer, seek to commit yourself and your things to the Lord for His use.
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[Judy Harder]

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. --Philippians 3:14

On July 4, 1952, a young woman named Florence Chadwick waded into the water off Catalina Island. On the fog-covered morning, she intended to swim the channel from the island to the California coast.

Florence wasn't a rookie when it came to long-distance swimming. She had been the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. But the water was numbing cold that morning and the fog was so thick she could hardly see two feet in front of her. Several times, sharks had to be driven away with rifle fire from the boats in her party.

She swam for more than fifteen hours before she asked to be taken out of the water. Her trainer coaxed her to swim on since they were so close to land, but all Florence saw ahead was the thick fog. She quit only half a mile from her goal.

Later she said, "I'm not excusing myself, but if I could have seen the land, I might have made it."

Florence didn't fail because of fear, exhaustion, or the cold water. It was the fog.

We often fail too--not because we're afraid or tired--but because we lose sight of the goal. This is surely why Paul wanted to remind believers to "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [you] heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).

Two months after her failed attempt at swimming the length of the channel, Florence waded into the water off the same beach on Catalina Island, swam the full distance, and set a new speed record--all because she could clearly see her goal.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God to clearly present you with the goals He wants you to strive toward. Pray that He would make your path clear in fulfilling His call in your life.
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[Judy Harder]

Jesus said..."I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. --John 11:25-26

In his book, A Portrait of My Father, Peter Law writes:

"Imagine you are on a holiday, and you have an apartment overlooking the sand and surf. Sitting on the table in your room is a fishbowl, and inside the bowl is a small goldfish.

"Each day you swim and sun-bake and enjoy soaking up the delights of vacationing. Before long, however, you begin to feel sorry for little Goldie who is all alone in his bowl while you go out having fun in the sun.

"To make up for this injustice, you promise Goldie a little of the action. 'Tomorrow,' you tell the goldfish, 'you will begin to enjoy life, too.'

"The next day you take a washcloth, lift the fish from the bowl, place it in the cloth, wrap it up, and put the living bundle into your pocket before leaving for the beach.

"As you reach the spot where you are accustomed to spending your day, you can feel the sun's heat beating down upon your back. Excitedly you take your gilled companion from your pocket, lay out the washcloth on the sand, place the fish on the cloth, stand back, and say, 'Now this is the life, Goldie; live it up!'

"Can anything be more ridiculous or more foolish? Being in the sun on the hot beach is no environment for a goldfish--or any fish! It will die there, not live. It was never intended to be in that environment. For people, a relationship with God as Father is the only correct environment for life."

As a believer in this life, a relationship with Jesus is the air we need to spiritually survive. There is enjoyment and fulfillment in a daily relationship with Him through prayer and Bible study. Without these things, we will spiritually suffocate and die.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Thank God for the joy He gives through your relationship with Him.
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[Judy Harder]

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. --1 Chronicles 16:34

Most people recognize the names of Sherlock Holmes, the fictional detective, and his famous sidekick, Dr. Watson. Holmes, created by author Sir Arthur Conan Coyle, was the most famous literary character of the 19th and 20th centuries and made his first published appearance in 1887.

Holmes was known for his keen prowess and intense observation skills. At one point in The Adventure of the Naval Treaty, Holmes is studying a rose. Watson narrates as follows:

"He walked past the couch to an open window and held up the drooping stalk of a moss rose, looking down at the dainty blend of crimson and green. It was a new phase of his character to me, for I had never before seen him show an interest in natural objects.

"There is nothing in which deduction is so necessary as in religion. ...Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are really necessary for our existence in the first instance. 

"But this rose is an extra. Its smell and its color are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers."

What other "extras" should you be observing and thanking God for this year? How has God been good to you in the last few days or weeks? And what have you done to thank Him for His goodness and faithfulness demonstrated in your life?

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Today, take some time to thank Him for the "extra" blessings in your life--whether it be health, family, friendships, or something else.
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[Judy Harder]

This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.  --1 John 3:19-20

In their book, Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey wrote:

"Amputees often experience some sensation of a phantom limb. Somewhere, locked in their brains, a memory lingers of the nonexistent hand or leg. Invisible toes curl, imaginary hands grasp things, a 'leg' feels so sturdy a patient may try to stand on it.

"For a few, the experience includes pain. Doctors watch helplessly, for the part of the body screaming for attention does not exist. 

"Phantom limb pain provides wonderful insight into the phenomenon of false guilt. Christians can be obsessed by the memory of some sin committed years ago. It never leaves them, crippling their ministry, their devotional life, their relationships with others. 

"They live in fear that someone will discover their past. They work overtime trying to prove to God they're truly repentant. They erect barriers against the enveloping, loving grace of God."

Believers must learn to take hold of the truth found in 1 John 3:19-20. The Message puts it this way: "Let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves."

Even as a believer, the phantom pain of past sins, guilt, and self-criticism may still haunt you. And it may cause you to become overly righteous in your attempts to please God. But you are privileged as a child of God to receive unconditional forgiveness and experience His intense love for you.

Don't let guilt cripple your spiritual life. Give it over to God who forgives you.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Pray that God would remove the phantom guilt from your heart, and accept the reality of His forgiveness and love.
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[Judy Harder]

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.  --Psalm 119:105

Bob Mumford gives a great analogy on how you can discover God's will in his book, Take Another Look at Guidance. He says that one particular harbor in Italy can be reached only by sailing up a narrow channel between very dangerous rocks and shoals. Numerous ships have sunk over the years because the passage is so hazardous.

To alleviate this danger, three lights have been mounted on three tall poles in the harbor to guide the ships safely into port. When these lights are lined up perfectly and seen as one, a ship can proceed safely up the narrow channel to its destination. But if the ship's pilot sees two or three lights, he knows he's off course and in danger.

In his book, Mumford says that God has also provided three beacons to guide us in our spiritual journey down life's narrow and often perilous path. The same rules of navigation apply to us as believers. Three lights must be lined up for us to proceed safely.

The three harbor lights of spiritual guidance are:

1. The Word of God
2. The Holy Spirit
3. Circumstances

God uses the combination of these to lead us on our journey through the often difficult passages of life.

Are you on the right path? Or have you fallen off course? When we follow this three-point navigational path along our spiritual journey, we know that God will lead us safely in His way.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God to direct you along the path He wants you to take. Pray that He would reveal the three harbor lights of spiritual guidance to you each and every day as you journey through life.
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[Judy Harder]

Jesus said]: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness."  --Matthew 23:27-28

At her launch in 1936, the Queen Mary was the largest ship to sail the oceans. She served faithfully for four decades, even through a world war, until she was retired in a Long Beach, California harbor.

After her retirement, she was transformed into a hotel and museum. During the conversion, she was given a complete facelift. Her three gigantic smokestacks were taken down to be scraped and repainted. But once on the dock, they crumbled as soon as the makeover began.

Nothing was left of the ¾-inch steel plates that had once formed the stacks. All that remained were more than thirty coats of paint, which had been applied over the 40 years she was at sea. The steel had rusted away and left the stacks without substance.

Similarly, when Jesus called the Pharisees "whitewashed tombs," He meant they had no substance. They were merely concerned with externals...how they appeared before others. Jesus said, "On the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness" (Matthew 23:28).

Oh that we, as followers of Jesus Christ, would never be compared to the Pharisees! As children of the King, we must "first clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean" (Matthew 23:26).

The Scripture says God does not look at outward appearances or the things that man looks at, but instead He looks at the heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7). Seek daily a pure heart and your outward appearance will reflect your inner beauty and God's love.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God to cleanse and purify your heart, removing anything unclean from your life. Pray that He would create in you the inner beauty of His love,shining through to a lost world.
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