Nearing Home

Take heart, whatever age you are or whatever stage of life you may be in, God certainly has a plan and purpose for your life

Source: PInterest

I can remember my Father always telling me; ‘as you get older the years will fly by’. Oh boy, that is so true. How fast time seems to fly these days and how times have changed; young children I worked with at my local school have now grown up and now have children of their own! Letter writing and post cards are fast becoming a thing of the past with social media and networking now becoming the main source of communication. It seems that the world we once knew has changed overnight.

I sincerely hope this blog will encourage not just those of mature years but also people of all ages who have a heart for the things of God including those who might find themselves tied down with work commitments and a young family to nurture. Take heart, whatever age you are or whatever stage of life you may be in, God certainly has a plan and purpose for your life. Jeremiah 29:11 ‘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 hope and a future’.  If you have children then they are a blessing from God, they are your mission field, to nurture them in the ways of the Lord. For us older ones I say this ------ ‘We have arrived at the top of a mountain where we can breathe the rare atmosphere of experience, knowledge and honour’; Job 12:12 ‘Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding’? and Deuteronomy 32:7 ‘Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you’.

Scripture is filled with examples of men and women who God used in their later years, often with great impact; Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elizabeth, Anna and Simeon to name but a few. These are all examples of ordinary men and women who discovered that the latter years of life would prove to be some of the most rewarding and fulfilling. For them, growing older wasn't something to be denied or dreaded, it was something to be embraced as part of God’s plan for their lives. Anna was a Prophetess of great age who dwelt in the temple serving God with fasting and prayers night and day (Luke 2:36-38), Simeon was also a great age and dwelt in the temple and the Holy Spirit was upon him. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the Christ, the Messiah; the day then came when he was guided by the Spirit to the temple courts where the parents brought in the child Jesus; Luke 2:27-32 ‘Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel’.

Source: Knowing Jesus

God’s Word tells us in Psalm 92:14 ‘They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green’ and even though we may experience the limitations and difficulties associated with getting older in our human bodies, the Power of God can still be revealed in a powerful way, as we grow older; 1 Corinthians 1:27-28 ‘But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are’ and Philippians 3:20-21 ‘But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body’.

Florence Robertson (1917-2010) was a British Evangelist and Missionary and a most remarkable lady. Shortly after Albania opened its borders in 1991 Florence rode a donkey up its mountains carrying medicine and Bibles to minister to people in the remote villages. At the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer Norway she braved the snow to preach and in Guinea, West Africa she endured tropical heat to show the movie ‘Jesus’ to muslim villagers. You could say that none of this is unusual activity for a missionary, however what is unique about this missionary is Florence’s age, she was in her mid-seventies! She didn't start her missionary work until she was in her 60s. Age and adventure went hand in hand for this Grandmother. In the last fourteen years of her life she preached in forty different countries and on five different continents. Florence claimed that age was no barrier with the Lord and made reference to Abraham and Moses.

Florence wasn't converted to Christ until the age of 50 and eleven years later at the age of 61 she heard the call of God.  She said; ‘I asked the Lord about my age, about money and about health and God gave me some wonderful promises from His Word, promises of provision and protection. I've been running on those scriptures ever since’. Ulcers, a serious back injury and a diagnosis of Osteoarthritis didn't stop her. She said; ‘today I can eat what I like, touch my toes and dance to the Lord. It’s never too late to do something for the Lord, age is no obstacle. God does not ask us to go where He has not provided the means to help us. Trust God to supply courage and resources at the right moment’. 

We have a duty to look after our bodies to ensure our latter years will be more fruitful for God. The Bible tells us; 1 Corinthians 6:19 ‘Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?’ Those who have received the most precious gift of Christ’s Redeeming Blood have reason to look forward to the Glories of Heaven, for you will be perfected, you will be joyful, you will once again be active and right now you can be certain that you are nearing home.

May our Lord bless you all.

Author: Eileen Greaves

May God bless and enrich your life 

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