LIMPING TO THE FINISH LINE!

LIMPING TO THE FINISH LINE!

Isa 40:28-31

28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord , the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

31 But they that wait upon the Lord  shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

          The deterioration of our culture and the fearful march to world conflict seems to have arrived at an inconvenient time. Everything seems to be uphill and further away than I remember it. My reach is shorter than my grasp. If you are young then this paragraph will only be a puzzle to you but if you wait long enough you will understand.

          Paul, at the end of his life, was able to declare that he had “run a good race” (2 Timothy 4:6-8). He had kept faithfully and energetically the assignment given to him. In a dungeon and awaiting death, Paul passed the baton to his young protégé Timothy who would finish the last leg of the relay for him. Life, and especially the Christian life, is a battle. There will be casualties. All decisions have consequences and some have horrific consequences yet we may continue the race hamstrung and limping along.  

          Dr. Charles Stanley said: “God doesn't require our lives to be perfect in order to finish strong. We can live life fully and be ready to meet our Maker by surrendering, walking victoriously with Christ, and serving others. If Jesus called you home today, would you--like Paul--be confident that you lived well until the end?”

   Lord, hear our prayer for those who, growing old

   Feel that their time of usefulness is told.

   Let them still find some little part of play,

   Nor feel unwanted at the close of day.

Dear Lord, for me and for my growing-older friends, let us find your purpose and your strength for today. AMEN