Daily Living for Seniors

[Judy Harder]

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. --Deuteronomy 7:9

"It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents--except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up across the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies)...."

So begins Edward George Bulwer-Lytton's Paul Clifford, a novel containing what is widely considered one of the worst opening lines ever penned. So bad, in fact, that the English department at San Jose State University sponsors a whimsical competition every year challenging those who enter to write the worst novel opening possible!

Despite Bulwer-Lytton's shortcomings as an author, did you know he coined several phrases still used today? Phrases like "the almighty dollar" and "the pen is mightier than the sword." He also served as Interior Secretary of Canada, and a town in British Columbia bears his name. But unfortunately, he is most famous for that "dark and stormy night" opening line to his novel!

What about you? What legacy will you leave one day? When your family and friends think of you, what will come to mind?

The book of Deuteronomy gives us a sober warning that the consequences of our sin will affect those who come after us. But in the verse above, it also promises that God will keep His covenant of love for thousands of generations for those who love him and keep His commandments.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God to enable you to leave a lasting legacy for Him.

[Judy Harder]

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. --Matthew 28:19

The great Christian evangelist, D.L. Moody, was once asked to speak at a convention in Indianapolis.

One afternoon, he asked the convention's song leader to meet him on a street corner downtown at about 6 pm. When Ira Sankey got there, Moody had him stand on a overturned box and sing. This unusual spectacle attracted quite a crowd.

After speaking briefly, Moody persuaded most of the crowd to follow him to a nearby meeting place. They followed in droves and listened intently as Moody shared the good news of Jesus.

Too soon, the convention delegates started arriving, and Moody had to stop preaching. He said simply, "Now we must close, as the brethren of the convention wish to come and discuss the topic 'How to reach the masses'!"

So often, we think we have to have special training or special knowledge to tell others about Christ.

But like Moody, maybe all you need to do is be creative...and think of simple ways you can share Christ with others.

Maybe it's fixing dinner for your next-door neighbor. Maybe it's making a hospital or nursing home visit with a nice card or some flowers.

Whatever it is, God wants you to share His love with those around you. Don't think or talk about sharing your faith any longer...just go out and do it!

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God to show you someone with whom you can share His love and plan of salvation today.

[Judy Harder]

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." --Jeremiah 29:11

In December 1914, inventor Thomas Edison's laboratory burned to the ground. Edison, who stood calmly nearby watching most of his life's work go up in flames, knew full well his insurance would only cover a fraction of the damage.

However, Edison's attitude about the fire stunned those around him. The next morning, Edison returned to look at the charred rubble and declared, "There is a great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew."

Just a few weeks later, Edison produced a spectacular invention: his first phonograph.

The story of Edison's attitude is similar to how you and I should view our relationship with Jesus Christ. When we accept Him, He makes all things new. Our past mistakes are gone. Psalm 103 says "as far as the east is from the west," that's how far He has removed our transgressions from us.

God loves you so much that He sent His only Son to erase your past sins...so that you could start anew!

Prayer Challenge: Thank God for sending His Son Jesus to forgive your sins. And thank Him for the chance to start anew each and every day!

[Judy Harder]

Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord. Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.  --Psalm 4:5-6

One day, as Mahatma Ghandi climbed on board a train, one of his shoes slipped off and fell to the track below.

As he bent to retrieve it, the train lurched forward and began to move. Ghandi tried to grab his shoe, but missed. He stood there for a moment watching his shoe slowly fade into the distance.

Then to the shock of everyone around him, he quietly took off his other shoe and threw it so it landed just to the side of the shoe already on the ground.

When asked why in the world he would throw away his other shoe also, Ghandi responded, "The poor man who finds the shoe lying on the track will now have a pair he can use."

Have you ever given something away that you really hadn't planned to? Maybe, like Ghandi, it was a possession. Or did you give your time, your talents, your money?

Your small sacrifices might be huge blessings for someone else. Perhaps you could drive a friend to a doctor's appointment, invite someone to lunch, or teach a Sunday School class. There are many opportunities around you where you can be a blessing to others!

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask the Lord for opportunities where you can be a blessing to others, and thank Him for the blessings He has given to you. 

[Judy Harder]

Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. --Ephesians 6:18

When comedian Harpo Marx visited New York City many years ago, local charities bombarded him with requests to appear at their benefits.

One woman, in particular, was especially tenacious. In just two days, she called him more than a dozen times. Marx very reluctantly agreed to appear at her organization's function.

To further butter him up, she offered to personally escort him to the event. As they got ready to leave the hotel room, the phone began to ring once again. She asked him, "Don't you want to go back and answer it?"

Harpo Marx somewhat wittingly and wearily replied, "Why bother? It's undoubtedly you again!"

Aren't you glad that when you pray you never have to worry about God getting tired of hearing your requests? As a matter of fact, it is quite the opposite. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, the Bible says to "pray continually" and to give thanks in all circumstances.

God wants you to talk to Him. He wants to listen to what you have to say. In fact, He tells us in Philippians 4:6, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

He wants to hear your prayers today!

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Thank God for the opportunity to boldly come before His throne with your prayers today and every day.  

[Judy Harder]

Daily Living for Seniors
Wednesday, August 11, 2010 

"As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." --Psalm 103:12

When a reporter once asked former Cowboys running back Walt Garrison if he had ever seen legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry smile, he replied, "No, but I was only there nine years."

The first few years Landry coached in Dallas, he had little to smile about. The new Cowboys expansion team barely won a game and, shortly after his arrival, the country suffered a tragic blow when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

The dark cloud of Kennedy's assassination would hang over Dallas for years. It was an open wound that didn't seem to heal.

But this all changed when Landry led the Dallas Cowboys to their first Super Bowl win in 1972. The city that was once known as the city that killed JFK became the home of the Super Bowl champions, the Dallas Cowboys!

As I thought about this story, it made me wonder, do you ever feel like you have a dark cloud hanging over your life? Is there something in your past you are ashamed of...or something you just don't think you can overcome?

The enemy likes to remind you of your past and keep you under a dark cloud of guilt and regret. He wants to rob you of joy and hurt the witness you could have for Christ.

But don't let him! Romans 8:1 says, "...there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

As a Christian, you don't have to live under a cloud of guilt because Jesus paid the price for your mistakes and failures at Calvary. So claim this promise today. Because Jesus wants you to live in victory!

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Thank God for the forgiveness of your sins and praise Him that your past mistakes can't keep you from having a bright future.

[Judy Harder]

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy, and I will give thanks to him in song. --Psalm 28:7

In American history, Abraham Lincoln is lauded for his dynamic leadership during the Civil War. He's praised for the eloquent words of his Gettysburg address. And he's immortalized as the man who freed the slaves.

Abraham Lincoln, though, is not so well known for his own private battle with severe depression or for his wonderful remedy to his personal problem: laughter.

For example, Lincoln often told the story of two women who spread rumors in Washington about Confederate President Jefferson Davis and himself.

These women had a conversation comparing the virtues and potential of the two leaders. One said to the other, "I think Davis will succeed because he's a praying man." The other relied, "But so is Lincoln."

"Yes, but when Abraham prays, the Lord will think he's joking!"

Abraham Lincoln had a terrific sense of humor...and he was able to find joy during times when there wasn't a whole lot to laugh about.

What about you? Are you able to find joy and laughter even when your circumstances seem bleak?

Nehemiah 8:10 says, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." Take comfort and find joy in the knowledge that Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, loves you.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Praise God by singing a hymn or a chorus and ask the Lord to allow His joy to radiate in you in all circumstances.

[Judy Harder]

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  --Philippians 3:13-14

You are probably familiar with the story of Paul Revere.

On the evening of April 18, 1775, he jumped on a borrowed horse and began his famous midnight ride to Lexington, Massachusetts, where he would warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British troops were marching to arrest them.

But it's what happened after midnight that makes the story interesting!

In Lexington, Revere met up with two men, William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott. The men planned to ride to Concord where weapons and supplies lay hidden. But about an hour later, a British patrol arrested all three men.

Prescott and Dawes managed to slip away and several hours later the British troops freed Paul Revere...but without his borrowed horse. In reality, Paul Revere never actually completed his ultimate mission!

So often in life, our enemy, the devil, tries to keep us from doing great things for God by taking away our horse. Satan will do all he can to keep us from completing our "mission" because the last thing he wants is for us to serve God...to win the prize for which He has called us.

No matter what the devil may do to discourage you, press on! Don't let the obstacles, whether distractions, hurt feelings, or illness, stop you from doing what the Lord has called you to do!

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Regardless of what you're going through today, ask God for the strength to persevere...to win the prize He has called you to.

[Judy Harder]

Monday, August 16, 2010 

Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. --Isaiah 40:31

Charles M. Schulz, the creator of "Peanuts," said much of the inspiration for his comic strip came from his seemingly never-ending stream of bad luck and blunders in childhood.

Like the time a local movie theater promised the first 100 children in line a yummy chocolate bar they could enjoy during the show. Schulz eagerly joined in the queue, already tasting the tantalizing chocolate in his mouth. He waited patiently...only to discover he was number 101 in line!

It's easy to become discouraged when you eagerly wait for something and have your hopes dashed. The enemy wants nothing more than for you to be discouraged and doubt God at times like these. But oftentimes God uses our disappointments to draw us closer to Him.

When you feel let down, look up to the Father. Praise Him in the midst of your sadness. Psalm 33:18 says "the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love."

Draw closer to Him, and you will find yourself refreshed with a new hope. Don't let the enemy steal your joy, no matter what you may be going through today!

PRAYER CHALLENGE: When you face seasons of disappointment, ask God to help you remember He is there for you, waiting to draw you closer to Him.

[Judy Harder]

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. --1 Thessalonians 5:11

Each school year a fifth-grade teacher assigned her students a very special writing assignment. She asked them to write a nice sentence about each classmate.

It could be something they liked about the person or something they thought the person did well. The teacher then went line by line and put together a list for each student of all the nice words their classmates had written.

When this special teacher retired, many of her former students, who are now adults, came to her retirement party. But they carried with them more than just good fifth-grade memories. One by one, each student took out faded, well-worn sheets of paper...the treasured lists of encouragement.

One woman in her 20s told the teacher that whenever she felt down, she would open her scrapbook and read those words. A 40-something-year-old man admitted he carried his list with him in his wallet. Those positive words left a powerful, lasting impression!

Have you ever had someone say something nice that boosted your spirits or heard a kind word that made you smile?

Maybe you know someone who lives alone. Imagine how a timely phone call to see how they are would help. Perhaps writing a note to a friend who is ill might boost their spirits. There's so much you can do and say today to encourage those around you with the love of Christ!

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Thank God for those timely, positive words people have said to you, and ask Him for opportunities where you can encourage others today.