Daily Living for Seniors

[Judy Harder]

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. --Acts 1:8

A young woman excited about her salvation developed a deep desire to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. She felt called to missions, so she asked her pastor where she might go to serve to be most effective. He told her to come back the following day and he would have an answer for her then.

The next day, when she returned to his office, the pastor was waiting for her with an answer. He handed her a folded slip of paper and said, "I'm suggesting that you begin with someone who needs Christ right now more than anyone else in the entire world."

The young woman quickly left the pastor's office, eager to find out where her mission field was. She carefully opened the note and was surprised to discover two words: "Your father."

She had been so passionate about reaching the lost in foreign lands that she had neglected to share the Gospel with someone so close to home.

Are there people in your life who don't know Jesus? Maybe it's a parent, a sibling, a grandchild, a close friend, an acquaintance, one of your children, or even your spouse. Many people make the mistake of thinking the only mission field is overseas.

But God has called you to share the Good News of His Word right where you are—in your city, neighborhood, and among your circle of friends. If you know someone who is living with no hope and without a relationship with Jesus, then take the time today to share truth that will change their lives forever.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God to reveal people in your life that need to know the Lord so you can share Christ with them. Pray that He would open up the right opportunity at the right time for the Holy Spirit to work in their lives through you.

[Judy Harder]

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. --John 1:11

In The King's Business magazine, there was a story published once that told of a Christian fisherman who decided to spend the night on his boat. In the middle of the night, he heard a loud splash...and knew right away that the man in the yacht next to him had fallen in as a result of his heavy drinking. So he jumped into the cold water to save him.

With great effort, the fisherman pulled the man back onto his yacht and gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to help bring him back to life. After successfully rendering aid, he put the man back in his bed and swam back to his own boat.

The next morning, the fisherman returned to the yacht to see how the man was doing. But surprisingly, the man ungratefully replied, "It's none of your business!"

The fisherman reminded him that he had rescued him and saved his life the night before. But instead of showing gratitude, the man openly cursed and threatened him.

As the Christian man rowed away, tears filled his eyes and he prayed, "When I think of how men have treated You, Lord, I'm filled with sorrow. Now I can begin to understand just a little how You must feel when others reject You."

When you are persecuted by others because of your faith in Christ, think of the rejection that Jesus faced so that you could have forgiveness of your sins and eternal life through Him. Continue to profess His name and remember what He did on the cross...because great is your reward when you persevere in the midst of trials.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Thank the Lord for the sacrifice He made for you in the midst of persecution and rejection. Pray that He would give you strength so that His name may be glorified through it all.

[Judy Harder]

Trusting Christ When It Means Rejection

What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ. - Philippians 3:8

At his father's funeral, American track and field star Carl Lewis placed his 100-meter gold medal from the 1984 Olympics in his father's grave. "Don't worry," he told his surprised mother. "I'll get another one."

A year later, in the 100-meter final at the 1988 games, Lewis was competing against Canadian world record holder Ben Johnson. Halfway through the race, Johnson was still five feet in front. Lewis was convinced he could catch him. But at 80 meters, he was still five feet behind. "It's over," Lewis thought. As Johnson crossed the finish, he stared back at Lewis and thrust his right arm in the air, index finger extended.

Lewis was exasperated. He had noticed Johnson's bulging muscles and yellow-tinged eyes, both indications of steroid use. "I didn't have the medal, but I could still give to my father by acting with class and dignity," Lewis said later. He shook Johnson's hand and left the track.

Then came the announcement that Johnson had tested positive for anabolic steroids. He was stripped of his medal. The gold went to Lewis, a replacement for the medal he had given his father.

There are times that standing firm for what you believe will result in you losing. You might lose respect from those you want to please. You could lose a job. You may even lose friendships. But when the pressure is on, stand firm in your faith knowing that a better reward is on the way!

Prayer Challenge

Pray and ask God to help you do what's right even when it means losing something. And thank Him that a much better reward is on the way!

Questions for Thought

As you think back on your life, are there times when being a believer in Christ has cost you something?

What would your life look like today if you had no fear of rejection and lived fully for Christ?

[Judy Harder]

Keeping your focus where it belongs

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. - Colossians 3:2

A pastor tells a story of how he spent a summer teaching in Mexico and took both of his children with him. To pass the time as they drove, his 13-year-old son watched for license plates. The trip to Mexico netted him plates from 24 states!

So when they started back, the son was almost halfway to having seen plates from all 50 states. And their return trip would take them through Yellowstone National Park—a license plate collector's paradise. By the morning of the second day there, he had just one more state to go: Delaware.

When the three stopped to see Yellowstone's magnificent sights, the boy wouldn't even glance at them. He preferred to run up and down the parking lots, looking at license plates. He had become so obsessed with finding that Delaware plate, it was as if his life depended on it. When they stopped near the picturesque Yellowstone Falls, he kept looking for license plates.

"Come here! You've got to see it!" the father heard. As they ran to the parking lot, they saw a blue Volkswagen bus with Delaware license plates. The family still has that picture, and even today, that picture that tells more about what they did in Yellowstone than anything else.

It's easy to become so focused on the petty things of life that you miss the big things that really matter. So don't let life's distractions keep you from focusing on God. Instead, concentrate on what really matters in life: knowing God and making Him known!

Prayer Challenge

Pray that God would reveal to you the things in your life that compete for His attention and ask Him to help you focus on Him over and above everything else.

Questions for Thought

What are some things in your life today that are competing for God's attention?

How can you put those things into perspective so that you don't miss God because of trivial things?

[Judy Harder]

Is knowledge enough to save?

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. - James 2:19

When General Douglas MacArthur was a young West Point student, he was asked to give a report on a section of reading about the time-space relationship later formulated by Einstein as his Theory of Relativity. The reading was incredibly complex and, being unable to comprehend it, MacArthur committed the pages to memory.

When he was called upon to give his report, he solemnly reeled off almost word for word what the book said. The instructor looked at him somewhat quizzically and asked, "Do you understand this theory?"

"No, sir." You could've heard a pin drop in the lecture hall. The student braced himself and waited. And then the slow words of the professor: "Neither do I, Mr. MacArthur. Section dismissed."

Is often easy to know something without understanding or accepting it. You can know that Jesus Christ came to earth, died for your sins, and rose again, but never really accept it for yourself. Today's passage says even demons believe the things of God, but they are certainly not saved by it!

Instead of just letting the Bible be head knowledge, know it in your heart. Meditate on God's Word so that it becomes more than what you believe, but what you truly accept!

Prayer Challenge

Pray that God would give you eyes to see and ears to hear and accept His message of salvation.

[Judy Harder]

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'" --Luke 4:4

There's a story about an old man who lived in the mountains with his young grandson. Each morning, the grandfather would sit at the kitchen table and read from his worn-out Bible. Wanting to be just like his grandfather, the young boy would imitate him by reading his own Bible.

One day the grandson asked, "Grandfather, I try to read the Bible just like you, but I don't understand it. When I do understand it, I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?"

The grandfather simply replied, "Son, take this old wicker coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water."

The boy did as he was told, but the water leaked out of the basket before he could get back to the house. The grandfather sent him back three more times and told him to move faster each time. Every time, the frustrated boy returned with an empty basket.

Finally, out of breath, the young boy said to his grandfather, "See...it's useless!"

The old man said, "Look at the basket. Instead of a dirty old wicker coal basket, it's now clean. Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand it or remember everything you read, but when you do, it will change you from the inside out."

As believers in Christ in a fallen world, you and I must saturate our hearts and minds with the Word of God every day. Just like the young boy above, it may seem that we can't retain or comprehend everything we read. But remember that God uses His Word to change us from the inside out!

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Make a commitment to the Lord to study His Word faithfully each day. And pray that He will use the Scripture to cleanse you and make you more like Jesus.

[Judy Harder]

It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. --Psalm 119:71

Farmers in southern Alabama were accustomed to planting one crop every year—cotton. They would simply plow as much ground as they could and plant their crop. Year after year, they made their living by growing cotton.

Then one year, the dreaded boll weevil devastated the whole region. The next year, the farmers mortgaged their homes and planted cotton again, hoping for a better harvest. But as the cotton began to grow, the insects returned and completely destroyed the crop—wiping out most of the farms that grew cotton.

The next year, the few farmers who survived decided to plant a different crop in hopes of regaining their livelihoods—peanuts. The new crop proved to be so hardy and the market so ravenous that it enabled the farmers to pay off all their debts from the two previous years of failed crops.

Every season thereafter, the farmers planted peanuts...and they prospered greatly. And eventually, the farmers spent some of their new wealth to erect a monument to the boll weevil in the town square! They figured if it hadn't been for the pesky insect, then they never would have planted the prosperous peanut crops.

As believers, we have the assurance of knowing that God can use the "boll weevils" in our lives for something good. In fact, Romans 8:28 says, "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

No matter what trials may come knocking on your door unexpectedly, know God is in control and working behind the scenes for your ultimate good!

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Thank God for being in control of all the situations in your life—good and bad. And ask Him for the patience you need to wait for the light after the darkness of your trials.

[Judy Harder]

The incredible value of what God's given you

However, as it is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived"—the things God has prepared for those who love him. - 1 Corinthians 2:9

When the Western Union company asked the great inventor Thomas Edison to "name his price" for the ticker he had invented, Edison asked for a few days to think it over. His wife suggested he ask for $20,000, but Edison thought that was too much.

So when the time came for the meeting, the Western Union official asked Edison for his price. Edison wanted to say $20,000, but couldn't get the words out of his mouth. So the official broke the silence. "Well, how about $100,000?"

It's sometimes easy to undervalue things that haven't come to full fruition yet. Edison hadn't really seen the full potential of his world-changing invention, so he wasn't aware of its incredible value. The same is often true of salvation. You see, no living person has seen what God has prepared for those who love Him, but its true value is beyond what anyone could imagine.

As a believer, what you have in Jesus Christ is the most valuable thing in the world. Yet there are still those who take it for granted, using it as license to live as they please. But a Christian who knows its value will live every day in thankfulness to the glory of God.

Live today in light of your salvation, giving thanks to God and doing everything to bring honor to Him!

Prayer Challenge

Thank God for His saving work in you and pray your life would bring glory to Him!

Questions for Thought

What are some times in your life when you might have taken God's salvation for granted?

What would it look like for you to live each day in thankfulness, bringing honor and glory to Him?

[Judy Harder]

How to emphasize the eternal in your life

What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ. - Philippians 3:8

Professional golfer Tommy Bolt was playing in Los Angeles and had a caddy with a reputation of constant chatter. Before they teed off, Bolt told him, "Don't say a word to me. And if I ask you something, just answer yes or no."

During the round, Bolt found the ball next to a tree, where he had to hit under a branch, over a lake and onto the green. He got down on his knees and looked through the trees and sized up the shot. "What do you think?" he asked the caddy. "Five iron?" "No," the caddy said.

"What do you mean, not a five iron?" Bolt snorted. "Watch this shot."

The caddy rolled his eyes. "Nooo, Mr. Bolt."

But Bolt hit it and the ball stopped about two feet from the hole. He turned to his caddy, handed him the five-iron and said, "Now what do you think about that? You can talk now."

"Mr. Bolt," the caddy said, "that wasn't your ball."

Quite often in life, it's easy to expend time and energy on things that are ultimately meaningless. Just like Tommy Bolt hit the wrong ball, many people also put an enormous amount of effort into shots that don't count for anything when life is over.

When it comes to how you spend your time, do things that count. Spend your energy on things that bring glory to God—growing in His Word, fellowshipping with other believers, and loving those that don't know Him.

Prayer Challenge

Pray and ask God to show you when you are putting too much time and energy into things that have no eternal significance.

Questions for Thought

What are the temporal things in your life today on which you'd admit you've placed too much emphasis?

What are the things of eternal significance that you can put more time and energy into today?

[Judy Harder]

How you can avoid spiritual immaturity

For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. - Ezra 7:10

In a survey conducted by the Barna Research Group, nearly 1/3 of all born-again Christians stated that all good people will go to heaven, whether they have embraced Jesus Christ or not.

Another astonishing fact found was that while 88% in a recent poll believe Jesus Christ was a real person, what they believe about Him differs sharply from Scriptural teaching. About 42% (even a quarter of the "born again" Christians) believe that while on earth, Jesus sinned just like other people. Around 61% believe the devil is just a symbol of evil, not a living being. And 54% think that if people are good enough, they will earn a place in heaven regardless of their religious beliefs.

As shocking as many of those statistics are, especially those that deal with "born-again" Christians, there's a very important inference that can be made from them: people aren't growing in their faith.

You see, many people who are raised in a "Christian" home learn the basics of the faith. Then, when they're about 10 to 12 years old, they begin coasting spiritually. And very often they coast for decades, until one day when they're 50, and they realize they have the biblical knowledge of a 10-year-old.

Don't allow yourself to coast in the spiritual life. Instead, like the prophet Ezra, grow deeper in God's Word by devoting yourself to studying and observing it every day!

Prayer Challenge

Ask God to give you insight and discipline to study His Word regularly to avoid coasting through life spiritually.

Questions for Thought

Are there areas in your spiritual life where you've been guilty of just coasting? What are they?

What's a practical plan for you to get in God's Word regularly to avoid the problem of spiritual immaturity?