Old Lives Matter

David had made the Lord, his 'go to' place.

Jen Miskov

Another blog inspired by a trip to Wales. This time we were taking a short break in Swansea under the excuse of visiting my sibling who was completing a course at the Bible College of Wales. Now, some of the blog readership will know of Rees Howells, who was part of the Welsh revival and was used by God to do great exploits. His remarkable story is well documented in his biography, ‘Intercessor’ by Norman Grubb. In recent years, the Bible College campus has been restored to a place of prayer and biblical training. Incredibly, this work has been done through the partnership with a church based in Singapore!

On our first morning, we visited the museum at the Waterfront, which illuminated  life during the past 150 years with many exhibits and stories from south Wales in particular. The extensive mining both for coal and metal ores in the region provided employment for many, along with the equally dangerous and demanding work in the furnaces where the metals were extracted and formed into raw products. Here we were as visitors in our mid-sixties, sightseeing on a lovely sunny day in Swansea, staying in a modernised working-class terrace house, knowing that many of the original residents would never have reached our age.

We were privileged to join the college community and locals as they gathered on Sunday morning to praise the Lord. There were young and old from many nations together, full of joy and extending a warm welcome to us. The pastor from the Singapore church brought a timely message, ‘Old Lives Matter’. He personally was looking back on 35 years since he left the lucrative corporate world and together with his wife, followed a calling to pastor.  The essence of his exhortation was to keep us all effective and productive, as we seek to walk with the Lord.

The 4 main points of the message with my reflective one line summary::

·         Stay trusting - we started out in faith, let us continue to trust and obey

·         Stay healthy - our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit,

·         Stay connected – remember needy family members, friends, community

·         Stay decluttered – unused stuff (baggage!) in our lives is a hindrance - we’re on pilgrimage

There are several interesting biblical references to grey hair, which I will leave to the reader to investigate.  But I want to pick out Psalm 71, which although not directly ascribed to David, seems to follow on from the Davidic Psalm 70:5 we read:

For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,
    my confidence since my youth.
 From my birth I have relied on you;
    you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
    I will ever praise you.

Back to the Bible Canada

David had made the Lord, his ‘go to’ place, when he was young. When he was alone protecting the flocks,; when he was alone singing and making music on his harp; when he was alone running errands and serving his brothers;  when he alone was standing up to the taunting giant. He learned and honed the spiritual disciplines of a victorious life. And this life of faith continued into his old age, as we read in in v18

    do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
    your mighty acts to all who are to come.

So may we continue to root ourselves in our Lord Jesus Christ and may our lives, in word and deed, inspire the next generation to walk faithfully with our Lord.

 

Author: Richard Windridge

May God bless and enrich your life

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