Daily Living for Seniors

[Judy Harder]

Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you. --Psalm 86:2

A group of botanists went on an expedition into a remote area in the Alps to search for new species of flowers. As one of the scientists looked through his binoculars, he saw a rare, beautiful species growing at the bottom of a deep ravine.

To reach it, though, someone small would have to be lowered into the gorge. The scientist noticed a local young boy standing nearby and asked him if he would help them retrieve the flower. He told the boy a rope would be tied around his waist and the men would then lower him to the floor of the canyon.

The boy was excited about the new adventure and quickly agreed. But as he peered into the chasm while the rope was being tied to his waist, he shouted, "Wait! I'll be right back." He ran off and returned shortly with another man.

The boy said to the head botanist, "I'll go over the cliff now and get the flower for you. But this man must hold on to the rope that will lower me down. He's my dad!"

The Bible says, "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man" (Psalm 118:. This teaches us that we should never put our complete faith in man—and this includes your pastor, Bible study teacher, or closest loved one. Put your hope and trust only in the Lord, for He'll never fail you.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask the Lord to hold on to the "rope" tied to your waist. Trust that your Father above will keep you safe no matter what.

[Judy Harder]

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. --Romans 5:3-4

A man named Parnell Bailey toured an orange grove once where an irrigation pump had broken. The season was dry and some of the trees were dying because they lacked water. The man giving the tour then took Bailey to his own orchard where irrigation was used sparingly.

He said, "These trees could go without rain for another two weeks. When they were young, I frequently kept water from them. This hardship caused them to send their roots deeper into the soil in search of moisture. Now, my trees have the deepest roots in the area. While others are being scorched by the sun, these are finding moisture at greater depths."

The story above is a good picture of how suffering can produce the "roots" we as believers need to survive and thrive in any season of life.

But to grow these roots, you and I must plant ourselves in God's Word to find comfort and strength when battling difficulties in life.

Being thrown into the "furnace of affliction" is a test of faith, as it forces us to rely solely on the Lord. Isaiah 48:10 says, "See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction."

Whatever trial you may be facing today—be it illness, loneliness, financial difficulty, or family struggles—remember to stay rooted in the Lord. Then you can say as the psalmist did: "My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life" (Psalm 119:50).

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God to strengthen your faith when you are faced with affliction. Pray that He would comfort you with His Word in times of suffering.

[Judy Harder]

Living in the freedom Christ has given you

Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. - Galatians 4:6-7

A little boy visiting his grandparents was given his first slingshot. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit his target. As he came back to Grandma's backyard, he saw her pet duck. On an impulse he took aim and let fly. The stone hit, and the duck fell dead.

So he panicked and hid the dead duck in the woodpile, only to look up and see his sister watching. After lunch that day, Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes." But Sally said, "Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today. Didn't you, Johnny?" And she whispered to him, "Remember the duck." So Johnny did the dishes.

Later Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing, Grandma said, "I'm sorry, but I need Sally to help make supper." Sally smiled and said, "That's all taken care of. Johnny wants to do it." Again she whispered, "Remember the duck." Johnny stayed while Sally went fishing.

Finally, after several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's, he couldn't stand it. He confessed to Grandma that he'd killed the duck. "I know, Johnny," she said, giving him a hug. "I was standing at the window and saw the whole thing. Because I love you, I forgave you. I just wondered how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.

How many Christians today have received forgiveness in Christ, but miss out on living in the freedom they have? Don't live under the impression that you still have to earn your salvation. Instead, live in the freedom that Christ has bought you!

Prayer Challenge

Pray and ask God to help you understand the freedom you have in Christ. As you grow in your freedom, shake off the yoke of slavery and experience the joy you're meant to have!

[Judy Harder]

The importance of giving substance to your faith

February 10, 2012

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

James 2:26

A young boy, on an errand for his mother, had just bought a dozen eggs. As he walked out of the store, he tripped and dropped the sack, breaking every egg he had bought. The sidewalk was a mess, and the little boy tried not to cry. So a few people gathered to see if he was okay and to tell him how sorry they were.

In the midst of all the "I'm sorry"s and everyone making sure the boy was okay, one man handed the boy a quarter. Then he turned to the group and said, "I care 25 cents worth. How much do the rest of you care?"

That little story is a strong parallel to many people today, isn't it? You see, some tend to pity Jesus and say things like, "He was such a noble teacher," and, "What a brave thing to die for what you believe." However, when it comes to actually putting their money where their mouth is, that's where their devotion stops.

The Bible says that faith is of the utmost importance. But faith itself is only proven when there are works behind it like giving your money, your time, and even your very life to Christ. So instead of just giving Jesus your words, give Him your works and add substance to your profession of faith!

Prayer Challenge

Ask God to empower you to add substance to your faith by giving your money, your time, and even your very life to Christ every day!

[Judy Harder]

Having confidence in your status in Christ Jesus

February 13, 2012

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus....           

Ephesians 2:6

A man had a friend who was a highly decorated Air Force officer. One day, the officer decided to give him a tour of the Air Force base. As they were approaching the front gate, he wondered to himself, "How will I get in? Will they ask me lots of questions and make me wait while they do a background check?"

But just as they arrived at the gate, a burly sergeant waved them through without hesitation, "How did we get in so quickly?" the man asked the officer. "This sticker," he replied, pointing to a decal in the corner of the car's windshield. "It lets me and any of my guests onto the base."

Because this man was with a decorated officer who had previous clearance, he could get through the gate with no difficulty. This is exactly how you and I can get into heaven. On our own, we wouldn't stand a chance trying to enter those gates. We don't deserve the right and could never earn it.

But when you trust Jesus your Savior, you become identified with Him. And if you are "in Christ Jesus," you have free access to God's favor in this life and a sure hope of entering heaven's glory!

Prayer Challenge

Pray that God would give you a new appreciation for your status in Christ Jesus and that because of Him alone, you can enter heaven's joy!

[Judy Harder]

Imitating Christ's example of humility

February 14, 2012

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!       

Philippians 2:5-8

It's February 15, 1921. In the operating room of the Kane Summit Hospital, a doctor is performing an appendectomy. In many ways, the events leading to the surgery are uneventful. The patient has complained of severe abdominal pain. And the diagnosis by Dr. Evan O'Neil Kane is clear: an inflamed appendix that needed to be removed.

But really, there are two remarkable novelties of this particular operation. The first is that it marked the first use of local anesthesia in major surgery. You see, Dr. Kane was a crusader against the hazards of general anesthesia, believing that local was much safer. But while many of his colleagues and patients agreed with him, he had trouble finding someone to step forward and be the first person to have an appendectomy under local anesthesia.

This brings us to the second novelty of this operation: because Dr. Kane was unable to find a volunteer for the procedure, he operated on himself!

In order to gain his patients' trust and show his care for them, Dr. Kane did the most effective thing... he became a patient himself, putting his own well-being at risk for the sake of others. And in much the same way, that's just what Jesus did. He humbled himself by taking on human form and subjecting Himself to a human death.

So as you strive to imitate Christ in everything you do, be willing to humble yourself for the sake of showing others you care for them!

Prayer Challenge

Ask God to show you areas where you can humble yourself for the sake of showing love to others, whether it be by sacrificing what some may think of you, humbling yourself by praying for them, or giving financially to a friend in need.

[Judy Harder]

Being truthful even when it's not easy

Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned. - James 5:12

Lon Grammer claimed some impressive credentials at Yale University. He was a very popular student, playing rugby while earning a 3.9 grade-point average. But a just a month before he was to graduate with a degree in political science, Yale expelled the 25-year-old.

Yale officials say that Lon lied about his GPA and forged recommendations from nonexistent teachers to get into the school. He accepted $61,475 in scholarship money under these false pretenses, which led to his arraignment under charges of larceny. Yet in a TV interview, Lon pleaded that his actions were no worse than what happens every day when people lie on résumés.

In today's world, so many people play games with the truth for their own benefit. Some stretch it, while others like Lon fabricate it altogether. Yet God's Word couldn't be clearer: in your dealings with others, let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no. In fact, you should have such impeccable credentials as a truth-teller that others notice something different in you!

It's easy to tell the truth when it won't cost you anything. It's harder when the truth brings about difficult circumstances. But whether the result is good or bad, let your truthfulness be known to all so that you can live with a clear conscience and be a trustworthy friend.

Prayer Challenge

Ask God to help you gain a reputation of truthfulness even if the truth makes things more difficult.

 

[Judy Harder]

Glorifying God in every aspect of life

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. - 1 Corinthians 10:31

You may be surprised to know that throughout his or her lifetime, the average American:

Spends 3 years in business meetings
Spends 13 years watching TV
Consumes 109,354 pounds of food
Makes 1,811 trips to McDonalds
Spends $6,881 in vending machines
Eats 35,138 cookies and 1,483 pounds of candy
Catches 304 colds
Spends 24 years sleeping
It's amazing to see those kinds of numbers isn't it? But what many Christians don't realize is that even in the seemingly "mundane" aspects of life like eating or sleeping, God can be honored. In fact, as you see in today's verse, you can glorify God in whatever you do!

It's easy to slip into the mindset of "sacred" versus "secular" and think, I can really only glorify God when I'm reading my Bible or singing to Him. But in reality, God doesn't just want an hour on Sunday, He wants all of you 24 hours a day and 7 days a week!

So whatever your daily routine has you doing, glorify God. If you're having lunch, use it as a time to thank God for the blessings of food. If you're meeting with friends, show them the love of Christ in how you talk and act. When you do that, you'll start to understand what it really means to glorify God with your life!

Prayer Challenge

Ask God to show you "routine" areas of your life where you can bring glory to Him!

[Judy Harder]

The key to overcoming loneliness

Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. - Psalm 25:16

Everyone, at some point in life, experiences loneliness. In his book Facing Loneliness, J. Oswald Sanders writes, "The round of pleasure or the amassing of wealth are but vain attempts to escape from the persistent ache.... The millionaire is usually a lonely man and the comedian is often more unhappy than his audience."

Sanders goes on to emphasize that being successful often fails to produce satisfaction. Then he refers to Henry Martyn, a distinguished scholar, as an example of what he is talking about. Martyn, a Cambridge University student, was honored at only 20 years of age for his achievements in mathematics. In fact, he was given the highest recognition possible in that field.

But he still felt such emptiness inside. In fact, he was quoted as saying that instead of finding fulfillment in his achievements, he had "only grasped a shadow."

After evaluating his life's goals, Martyn sailed to India as a missionary at the age of 24. When he arrived, he prayed, "Lord, let me burn out for You!" And in the next 7 years that preceded his death, he translated the New Testament into three languages!

Do you want to know what the key to overcoming loneliness is? It's living your life on a purposeful mission for God. So if you find yourself with feelings of loneliness, reach out to others with the love of Christ and watch the peace of God invade your heart!

Prayer Challenge

Pray that God would reveal to you areas where you can turn any loneliness into service to Him and that you would be overcome by His supernatural peace.

[Judy Harder]

The importance of sharing life lessons with others

"Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom." - Job 32:7

In the book Live and Learn and Pass It On, H. Jackson Brown, Jr., recounted some of the life lessons people of different ages said they'd learned. Here are a few he collected and the ages of the people who shared them:

Lending money to friends and relatives causes them to get amnesia. (32)
You should always put on a new bathing suit and get it wet before wearing it in public. (21)
No situation is so bad that losing your temper won't make it worse. (41)
You shouldn't leave your fork on the plate when you reheat food in the microwave. (13)
When you're too busy for friends, you're too busy. (48)
Life is like a 10-speed bicycle—most of us have gears we never use. (59)
When parents say, "It doesn't matter what we think—you are the one dating him," they hate the guy. (24)
Keep your words soft and tender because tomorrow you may have to eat them. (38)
The more mistakes you make, the smarter you get. (13)
If you are still talking about what you did yesterday, you haven't done much today. (21)
One of the remarkable benefits of getting older is that you have many life lessons like these that you can share with others. That's exactly why in cultures around the world, gray hair is indicative of wisdom!

As you reflect upon your life, think of the life lessons that come to mind. Make a list of them so you can share them with others. When you allow your experiences to be teachable lessons for others, you'll breathe life into their relationship with God!

Prayer Challenge

Pray and ask God to bring to mind your life lessons. Make a list and share them with others who can learn from your experiences.