Jump Start # 717

Psalms 37:25 “I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.”

This wonderful passage brings together two great concepts and thoughts—the voice of experience and the amazing goodness of God. Sometimes we don’t recognize the blessings of the Lord. We ought to, but we simply fail to see them. The busyness of life keeps us running so fast that we don’t see answered prayers, opened doors, and the comfort from the Lord. This is not good, because it can make us ungrateful when we should be thankful and it can make us wonder why God isn’t doing things, when He is.

The voice of experience: I have been young and now I am old. Experience teaches a person things that books cannot. There is no fast track to go from young to old…it’s just living a long time. I like older people, our senior citizens. I like hearing about things long ago. I like looking at old stuff, not that I’d want to go back and use them, I just like looking at those things. One of the terms God uses for the leaders of His people is, “elder,” meaning older or experienced. We understand that in our military. The generals are older men who have combat experience. The captains of sports teams are not the rookies, but people who have played the game for a while. Experience teaches. Experience reminds. Younger preachers seem to have more fire in their belly. Older preachers seem to have more reason and understanding in their heart.

Sometimes the conflict within churches is a generational thing—a battle between the young and the old. The young want to go. They want to change. They want new. The old often fear change. They have witnessed where change without thinking has led to departures. A lack of understanding and cooperation has led to divisions in the church. The younger folks can learn from the older ones and likewise the older ones can learn a thing or two from the younger folks. The fear of the unknown or what could happen has become an excuse for some to do nothing.

I know some preachers in their 80’s who are still preaching fresh and practical sermons, who have embraced modern technology, and who are very effective in what they are doing. It is an honor to listen to such men. They have something to say. The years have made them kind, spiritual and approachable. Their knowledge of the Bible is so enormous that when they speak you’d think that they actually walked with Jesus, and in a spiritual way, they have! It is a blessing to see churches using men like this and not casting them out because they are old.

Walking with God for many years does something to a person. He sees the promises of God, the goodness of God and numerous times God has helped him. In the midst of a crisis, fear fills our hearts and we don’t know how we are going to get through it. God helps His people. He always does. The years pass and we forget about the crisis. Others have come and gone. In time, we have layers and layers of experience with God. Our prayers become richer and more thankful as the years pass by. God has been good to us.

I have been young and now I am old—is a blessing in itself. Not all could say that. Some don’t make it to that point. Those that do, ought to be better because of God.

I have been young and now I am old and I have not seen the righteous forsaken…here is a person who has witnessed the righteous for a long time. Some don’t do that, either. He has seen how God has been to His people. They have not been abandoned. When in the wilderness, God fed them. When facing enemies, God protected them. In famines, God provided for them. God’s will has never been overthrown. God’s enemies have never triumphed for long. God’s people have never been forgotten.

I know many, many people who started their walk with God when they were young. Now they are old. They are still walking with Him. This past year I have conducted the funeral of several Christians that fit this description. They were Christians for more than 50 years. I wonder how many sermons they heard…how many hymns they sung…how many Bibles they wore out…how many times they took the Lord’s Supper…how many prayers… They were young and then they were old, and they continued walking with the Lord.

Do you know some older Christians? Have you given them a hug recently and simply told them, “thank you.” Many of us are in congregations and worship in church buildings and are singing from song books that Christians have made available to us. A younger generation is enjoying the fruits of what an older generation has provided for us. Now it’s our time. If the Lord allows, we will be old someday. There are others coming behind us. We must secure the way for them, giving our time and our energy to make things right for them.

I was young and now I am old…

Roger