Daily Living for Seniors

[Judy Harder]

September 09, 2011     


Daily Living for Seniors
     
Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord. --Leviticus 19:32

Honor should be given to senior citizens—period. It's in the Bible. Older men and women with years of experience and wisdom must be treated with respect. So, why does this matter to you since you're already a senior citizen?

It needs to be passed down to the younger generations. Children, teenagers, and even some young adults today are being raised without knowledge and practice of this valuable rule. It is your responsibility to share this with your already grown children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren because it's in the Bible.

"Never speak sharply to an older man, but please with him respectfully just as though he were your own father. ... Treat the older women as mothers" (1 Timothy 5:1-2, TLB). How many young people do you know who truly speak to older adults with the utmost respect? There aren't many in today's society. There's no respect for parents, government authority, school educators, much less the elderly.

And while there are exceptions, as a senior adult, you must leave behind the legacy of respect for older generations. Many young people don't realize the value in the wisdom and experience that a senior adult can give. "The glory of young men is their strength; of old men, their experience" (Proverbs 20:29, TLB).

If senior adults begin instilling these values into the younger generations, the respect you deserve will not be lost. In Psalm 71, the Bible records a senior citizen's prayer. "And now that I am old and gray, don't forsake me. Give me time to tell this new generation (and their children too) about all Your mighty miracles" (Psalm 71:18, TLB). As men and women of age, there is much for you to teach the younger generations—don't delay!

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God to show you a young person whom you can mentor and share godly wisdom and experience.

[Judy Harder]

September 12, 2011   

Daily Living for Seniors

Praise be to the Lord; to God our Savior, who daily bears our burden. --Psalm 68:19

Depression is a serious mental health issue that affects people of all ages, both male and female. Sadly, concurrent medical conditions can actually compromise the recognition of depression in older adults. Some of the illnesses related to late-life depression are not only many forms of cancer, but Parkinson's disease, heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer's dementia.

Do you or someone you know experience these types of symptoms? Here are some things to look for: recent significant weight change, change in sleeping patterns, loss of energy, isolation, overwhelming feelings of sadness, unexplained physical symptoms, inappropriate feelings of guilt, and feelings of helplessness or hopelessness.

Beware that these problems are not just part of the normal aging process for older adults. Medical help is needed if you or your loved one is experiencing four or more of the symptoms above. But, whether you are experiencing clinical or chronic depression, or just the occasional bout of depression, there is hope in God's Word.

Every person experiences depression at one point or another in his or her life. In Psalm 107:10-11, the Bible records the prisoners "sat in darkness and deepest gloom, miserable prisoners in chains." Have you ever felt this way? To relieve their pain, they cried out to the Lord and "He saved them from their distress. He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains" (Psalm 107:13-14, NLT).

There is hope in the Lord to break free from the bondage of depression. In the Bible, Satan is compared to a thief who is seeking to steal, kill, and destroy you (John 10:10). But, Christ came to give you everlasting (John 5:24) and abundant (John 10:10) life.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Thank God for the promises of freedom from the bonds of depression. Ask him to take away the feelings of depression and fill you with joy and hope.

[Judy Harder]

Daily Living for Seniors
     
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. --Psalm 118:24

Have you ever taken time out of your day just to stop and literally smell the flowers in your garden, listen to the birds singing, or relax long enough to feel the cool breeze outside? If you truly take the time to do things like this each day, you'll be amazed at how renewed—emotionally and mentally—you'll begin to feel.

When your joy and passion for life have been depleted, take action! Everyone goes through seasons of discontentment and gloom, and there are many reasons for its cause. It could be a stressed relationship, work problems, frustration or difficulties in a relationship with your children, personal criticism, or illness.

When trying times creep up on us, our joy seems to dissipate. You've probably heard the story of Jonah. He said about life: "It would be better for me to die than to live" (Jonah 4:. Despite Jonah's difficulties, even spending some time in the belly of a whale, God brought Him out of his unhappiness and restored his joy.

When your joy seems to have disappeared, seek solitude and silence with God. A hectic lifestyle is never a good solution for finding joy that has been lost. "Be still before the Lord" (Zechariah 2:13), and refresh your spirit through Him. Think about God's many blessings in your life, especially the people you love and the people who love you. When you're feeling like Satan has taken away your happiness, remember the declaration in Psalm 118:24: "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God to show you an opportunity where you can get away and be alone with Him. Thank Him for the joy and blessings in your life that can only be found in Him.

[Judy Harder]

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
--Colossians 3:12

In 1935, on a winter night, Fiorello LaGuardia, the mayor of New York City, showed up at night court in the poorest part of the city. He let the judge go for the evening and he took over the bench.

A woman in torn clothing, charged with stealing a loaf of bread, was brought to stand before LaGuardia. She told LaGuardia that her son-in-law had deserted her extremely sick daughter, and that her grandchildren were starving. The shopkeeper refused to drop the charges, however, saying she needed to be punished.

LaGuardia sighed, turned to the old woman, and said, "I've got to punish you. The law makes no exceptions. Ten dollars or ten days in jail."

As soon as he pronounced the sentence, however, LaGuardia took a $10 bill out of his pocket and threw it into a hat. And he said: "Here's the $10 fine, which I now remit. Furthermore, I'm going to fine each person 50 cents in this courtroom for living in a town where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Bailiff, collect the fines and give them to the defendant."

The next day, a New York newspaper reported that $47.50 was turned over to the grandmother who had stolen a loaf of bread to feed her starving grandchildren.

Today, give encouragement or show kindness to someone who wouldn't expect it from anyone else. Christ came to give life and show mercy to those less fortunate and those who are sinners—not the high and mighty. Restore the joy in your life by giving of your time and energy to those who don't have the blessings that you do.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God to show you someone who is less fortunate than you, so you can extend to him or her the same kindness that Christ first showed you.

[Judy Harder]

Daily Living for Seniors
     
But if a widow [or widower] has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. --1 Timothy 5:4

For some senior adults, moving toward dependency happens quickly as the result of an illness, a fall, an accident with long-term effects, and more. But, most seniors creep toward dependency at first unnoticed, then realized, and finally understanding and willingly.

Changes that continue to happen because of aging cause a senior citizen to finally understand: "I can't do this by myself anymore. I need someone to help me out." Depending on the individual, some may be eager and willing to accept the help of another, while others find it hard to admit what is happening.

The caregiver should be one who agrees to become responsible for one who decides to take on dependency. In the fifth commandment found in Exodus 20:12, "Honor your father and mother so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you," the rationale in God's plan is that family members are to look after one another.

Parents are to care for their children; and then in reciprocation, the adult children are to care for their parents. The most God-honoring care giving will come from the wisdom found in the fifth commandment. If you are at the point where you would like to begin making plans for someone to take care of you one day, then consider sitting down with a family member to discuss the next steps.

Be aware of the situation and how much time will need to be spent between the two of you. Work out a plan, involving more than one family member, if possible, and recognize that there will be some difficult times. Decide whether or not you want to remain in your own home, or if you need to go where it will be more convenient for your family.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask for God's will, wisdom, and guidance to be revealed in this situation. Pray that God would work out the details in His own way and in His time.

[Judy Harder]

September 16, 2011   

Daily Living for Seniors
     
In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. - Psalm 71:1

When things come up in my life, oftentimes my first instinct is to take action and correct whatever may be wrong. This is true for most men. It's a natural male tendency to want to fix what's broken. I'm sure some of the ladies reading this can relate to this tendency as well.

The problem is that my first instinct isn't necessarily my best course of action. An impulsive reaction to a situation can sometimes make it much worse. Instead of seeking the Lord and asking for guidance, we may rely on our wealth, our reputation, or our own know-how to get a job done. But often this can lead to negative results.

Consider Jonah. His first instinct was to run. In fact, when God called Jonah to preach to the people of Nineveh, he went as far in the opposite direction as possible. And it was only due to his eventual acceptance of God's will that an entire city was spared the Lord's fury. Jonah knew he had a difficult task set before him, but he fled from God instead of seeking shelter from God.

How different the story would have been if Jonah had simply taken refuge in the Lord from the beginning! Jonah could have spared himself a lot of misery and shame by finding refuge in the Lord.

How much of our own anguish has been caused by an unwillingness to submit to God? Sometimes we would rather stand in the cold alone than experience warmth and safety in the sanctuary of the Lord.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God for refuge today by granting you strength and peace of mind.

[Judy Harder]

September 19, 2011   

Daily Living for Seniors
     
"Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water." Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. - Numbers 20:8, 11

Do you ever hear without listening? Maybe you've heard the words that were spoken to you, but failed to understand their meaning. A very simple example of this would be turning on a foreign language TV or radio station. You can listen all day long, but you'll never hear the intended message!

When God speaks to us, it's very important that we not only hear His voice but to listen to what He's telling us. In the verses above, you see a clear command from God: "Speak to that rock." Yet what does Moses do? He strikes the rock. Twice! Talk about missing the message. And as a result of this failure to really hear God's command, Moses wasn't allowed to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land.

Now, maybe Moses was confused. After all, in Exodus 17:6, God did command Moses to strike a rock to receive water for the people. Which is why it is so important that we listen carefully to what God is telling us.

It's worth noting that while Moses failed to follow the Lord's command explicitly, God was still faithful to His commitment. He still poured out water from the rock. God is always faithful to His word. You and I need to focus on listening to His word as we hear to His voice.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Pray that you will be able to listen to God's voice...and that you clearly understand His command to you in every situation in life.

[Judy Harder]

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. - Matthew 4:1

All of us battle temptation on a daily basis. The enemy is relentless in his attacks, which is why you and I must always be vigilant in staying connected to the Lord every day. But no matter how committed we are to our relationship with God, we will still come under fire.

The key to our victory is in our response. When you feel overwhelmed by temptation, how do you respond? Thankfully, God has provided us the perfect example for overcoming temptation by allowing His own Son to be tempted.

Christ's temptation is recorded in the fourth chapters of both Matthew and Luke. The key to focus on is Jesus' response when tempted by Satan. In both Gospels, Jesus responds to temptation by quoting Scripture. In fact, Jesus is tempted three times and each time He quotes from Deuteronomy!

Now Jesus probably had more Scripture memorized than you or I do, and at our age it may not be so easy to add a whole lot more. But notice that Jesus responds with verses that apply to the specific temptation. We all know our sin patterns and we know what temptations we struggle with. That's why it's so important to commit one or two verses to memory that address your individual weaknesses.

For instance, if you struggle with a lot of negative emotions, it might be beneficial to memorize Galatians 5:22-23, which lists the fruit of the Spirit. Or if you battle an unhealthy relationship with money, remember 1 Timothy 6:10. It will remind you of the consequences when putting wealth ahead of the Lord.

If you just can't seem to commit a verse to memory, write it down and tuck it somewhere that will be helpful when you are tempted. Keep it in your Bible, your wallet, in your car, or taped to your bathroom mirror.

Nothing rebuffs Satan like the Word of God. Remember it is our sword—the only form of attack we have against the enemy.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Repeat the Lord's Prayer today especially focusing on "Lead us not into temptation." Pray this for yourself and for those you love.

[Judy Harder]

When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. - Genesis 32:25

Have you ever heard the phrase "addition by subtraction"? You often hear it used by sports analysts when an athlete leaves a team. Take the Texas Rangers, for example.

In 2000, they signed Alex Rodriguez, or "A-Rod," to the biggest contract in sports history. He was one of the best shortstops in the game! Yet the Rangers finished last in their division three years in a row.

After trading A-Rod to the New York Yankees three years later, the Rangers finished the 2004 season only three games out of first place in their division! This is a good example of addition by subtraction.

In the same way, God often removes things from our lives that we consider very important. But in the end, we see that by removing that thing, we are better off.

In today's verse, we see that Jacob lost something that was extremely important to him: his ability to run! That's right. Jacob's pattern was simple, he would deceive and then he would run away. He ran from Esau after stealing his birthright and he later ran from Laban, taking all his possessions with him.

However, after the Lord injured his hip, Jacob was forced to confront his biggest fear. He had to face Esau. And much like the Prodigal Son, Jacob was welcomed with open arms by Esau. By subtracting his ability to flee, God added back Jacob's brother.

The Lord may be removing dependencies in your own life. What you may be missing, though, really may be God's provision through these times.

How is the Lord taking care of you even while stripping away things you thought you needed? I want to encourage you to look for the addition that results from God's subtraction.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask the Lord to show you how He is using a recent loss for good..

[Judy Harder]

 Daily Living for Seniors
     
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. - 1 John 4:1

Superstitions exist in all facets of life. From black cats, to indoor umbrellas, even believers who have been walking with the Lord for decades can allow false beliefs to seep into their daily routines.

The world considers this harmless, entertainment even. But consider what it says to God when you speak with a psychic or allow superstitions to hinder your daily activities. What you are telling God is that you do not trust Him enough to take care of your needs. But the Lord clearly instructs us in Proverbs 3:5 not to rely on our own knowledge or the knowledge of others. Instead you are to, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart."

Superstitions happen when we give meaning to the meaningless. Sometimes we all need to be reminded that trusting God to lead you means that breaking mirrors, or stepping on cracks, or walking under ladders holds no meaning.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Pray that God would reveal to you anything in your life that may be creating a separation between you and Him.