Today
we are honoring Grandparents; --
what a good thing to do!
One
Sunday morning a grandmother was headed out the door to go to church -- when
she got a phone call from her daughter.
Would
Grandmother like to have her 3 little grandchildren visit -- while her daughter
& son-in-law took a five day holiday trip?
Grandma
was so delighted; --
she put $5 in the collection plate at church -- &
gave thanks to the Lord in her heart!
The
Sunday after the grandchildren had returned home -- grandpa was delighted --
& he put $20 in the collection as he gave thanks to God!
You & I live in a world that is
constantly changing!
Circumstances change; --
we change; -- but God’s Word never
changes!
Our
God is an ever faithful God!
Let
me share a great promise from God’s Word with you this morning.
It is
Psalm 37:25. -- It
speaks of the faithfulness of God.
David
wrote these words out of his own experience with life.
These
could well be words of wisdom from a
grandparent to a much younger generation! -- Psalm 37:25 -- (Read text).
“Once
I was young -- & now I am old” -- (if its difficult for you to say that
word ‘old’ this morning, maybe I can
soften it a little bit for you) -- “Once I was younger -- & now I am older.”
We
are all in the process of getting older, day by day! --
None of us are as young as we once were.
David
is saying: -- “In all my years I have never seen the Lord forsake the godly --
nor have I seen the children of the godly go hungry.”
I like
the way Eugene
Peterson renders this phrase in his
contemporary translation of the Bible called The Message: -- “I once was young, now I’m a gray beard.”
When
David became old -- he looked back across the years -- & he discovered just
how faithfully God had cared for
him!
Oh,
what a great thought; -- a great truth; -- a great testimony; -- a great
promise! -- This is the wisdom of age to
youth!
You
& I may want to stop getting older; -- but there is really nothing much we
can do about it.
At
times I’ve watched the children running in & out of the church -- (or
playing out there in the playground) -- & thought to myself: -- “It’s really a shame to waste all that
energy on children!”
If we
could just somehow “bottle up” some of that energy --
& store it up for a later period in our lives; -- wouldn’t that be nice?
How I
wish I had more energy -- & more time -- to get more done!
But
life moves on -- one day at a time -- & we find ourselves getting older --
day by day by day.
I
have reached the age -- where I can now hide my own Easter eggs.
I
don’t know what you’re laughing about; -- unless you know exactly what I’m
talking about.
I
found half of my eggs last year; -- how well did you do?
In
fact -- I found two of Jeannette’s eggs from the year before.
My friends
don’t resent growing old; -- many are denied that privilege!
You
know you’re getting old when -- a loving caring,
gray haired lady or gentleman helps you across the street --
& she’s/he’s your spouse.
But
-- don’t think of yourself as growing old.
Just
think of yourself as getting one day closer to Medicare.
Why
is it when you’re seven -- today is forever --
& tomorrow never; -- but when you’re seventy
-- tomorrow is yesterday before you knew it was today?
Have
you heard the Senior Citizen Serenity Prayer?
“God,
grant me the serenity to forget the people I never liked anyway --
the good fortune to run into the ones that I do like -- & the eyesight to
tell the difference.”
Well,
let’s get back to our Scripture lesson.
Getting older is a part of every life!
In a
seminar for senior citizens -- a person asked a
medical specialist -- -- “When do the signs of old age begin?”
The
doctor thought for a moment -- & then
answered: -- “At conception.”
Each stage of life has its burdens -- & its benefits.
A child is free to play -- & has no
burdens to carry; -- yet is immature & really doesn’t know what life is all
about.
A teenager has some adult privileges --
but has to also start carrying some adult responsibilities.
A single person has more freedom than a
married person -- yet most people would rather be married -- even though
marriage entails many extra burdens.
Young people just getting started --
face so many unknowns in life; -- & middle-aged people sometimes get discouraged because they didn't reach all
their goals.
Then
we come to our senior years --
(& I’m almost there now) -- when we would
like to do so much more; -- yet we’re hindered by physical handicaps -- or perhaps
financial burdens.
I’m not saying that life is just one big
burden; -- no, no, no!
That’s not what I’m saying in the least!
What
I am saying is that life keeps moving
along; --
we grow older -- & each stage in life has its blessings &
its burdens; -- each stage in life has its opportunities & its obligations!
This is where we need to hear the Word of
God!
And
what David is saying in our Scripture verse is so wonderful.
Listen to what David is telling the people of God about the faithfulness
of God! -- It pays for you & me to
live a righteous & godly life!
Three
great truths come to our attention in this great promise: --
1.
God is Faithful in His Presence! -- God is with us all the way!
When
David was young -- God was with him & helped him kill the giant.
When
David became old -- God was still there -- & helped him stabilize the
kingdom -- & prepare for the building of the temple.
So
David is able to say: -- “Once I was young --
& now I am old. -- Yet I have never seen
the godly forsaken -- nor have I seen their
children go hungry.” -- This is an
encouraging promise for the Christian believer!
No
matter how you may change -- or how life may change -- God never changes -- & His promises never fail!
When
David grew to be an old man -- he looked back
at his stormy life -- & came to a
wonderful conclusion: -- God had been
with him all the way! -- God never forsakes His own!
This
truth is stated often in the Bible!
Jesus
said to His disciples before returning to heaven -- “Lo, I am with you always,
even unto the end of the world” (
You can be sure -- my dear friend -- that God is going to be with you no matter
what! -- He will not forsake you!
As we
review the life of David -- we realize that David was not always walking in the will of God.
There
were days when David was discouraged -- & wanted to quit.
Read
the
When
David was in the caves -- hiding from a jealous King Saul -- God was with him.
Even
when David doubted that God
could help him -- God
was still there
God
did not forsake David in those hours of defeat & discouragement.
But what
about those hours of disobedience --
on David’s part?
Yes
-- there were times in David’s life
when he disobeyed God -- & sinned!
-- Did God approve of that sin? -- Of course not!
Did
God just look the other way & ignore David’s sin? -- Absolutely not.
Did
God deal with David’s sin? -- Yes, He did.
David
was chastened & disciplined for his disobedience.
But
did God forsake His child because he had sinned? - No, no, no!
There
were times when what David did was not acceptable --
but David was still loved & accepted by God!
David’s salvation depended on the grace of God!
God
was faithful to keep His promise to forgive!
God
had to rebuke David -- & discipline David -- but God never forsook David!
The
fact that God does chasten us -- or discipline us -- when we refuse to confess
our sins -- is proof that God is with
us -- & not against us!
As parents
-- we often have to spank our children -- & we do it because we love
them.
We
don’t forsake our children when they disobey --
& God the heavenly Father doesn’t forsake us when we sin.
He
lovingly warns us -- convicts us -- rebukes us -- &, if necessary, chastens
us -- & all of this is proof that
God has not forsaken us!
Perhaps you feel that you
have disobeyed God -- & you feel you have
been forsaken by God.
My
friend -- claim the promise of Psalm 37:25 -- “Once I was young --
& now I am old. -- Yet I have never seen
the righteous forsaken -- nor have I seen their
children go hungry.”
If
God ever forsook you for even a moment -- you would die -- for “in him we live
-- & move -- & have our being” (Acts
Rest on the faithfulness of His promise
of His ever abiding presence! -- God
has not forsaken you -- & God will not forsake you.
From
the time I was a teen-ager (once I was young --
& now I am old) -- I’ve found
encouragement in the words of that great old hymn -- How Firm a Foundation:
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul, tho’ all hell should endeavor to
shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.
2. God is Faithful in His Provisions!
We
never have to become beggars.
David
is saying: -- “God will always
provide whatever we need -- so that we don’t have to turn to anyone else --
except Him.”
Is
God concerned about the everyday needs of your life?
Of course He is!
Jesus
told us that God watches the sparrows when they fall -- & surely God sees
us -- & knows our every need.
As
Jesus ministered here on earth during those three marvelous years -- He met the
physical -- emotional -- & material needs of people.
He
was concerned about the children; -- He had time for the lepers & the
handicapped; -- He fed hungry people.
Jesus
Christ was not deaf to the pleas of the blind; -- He heard the cries of the
sorrowing; -- & He met the needs of people everywhere!
And
He is the same -- yesterday, & today, & for ever! (Heb.
13:8).
Of
course -- Jesus’ greatest deed was
His death on the Cross for the sins of the world -- for man’s greatest need is salvation.
God has always been faithful to meet the
needs of His people
David
looked back at his long, full life -- & concluded that God had never
forsaken him -- & that God had provided for every need -- & He always would!
No
matter what your circumstances are just now -- if you know Jesus Christ is your
Savior -- & you are living for Him --
you can be sure that He will meet your
every need -- whatever that need may
be!
“But -- but seek you first the
There
is a chorus we use to sing years ago; --
It
reminds us of an important truth. -- It goes like this -- I know the Lord will
make a way for me;
I know the Lord will make a way for me.
If I live a holy life, -- Shun the wrong &
do the right,
I know the Lord will make a way for me.
“Once
I was young -- & now I am old. --
Yet I have never seen the godly forsaken --
nor have I seen their children go hungry.”
Can you also sing with meaning the second
verse of that chorus?
I want the Lord to have His way with me;
I want the Lord to have His way with me.
Tho’ the need be great or small, -- I would
yield to Him my all,
I want the Lord to have His way with me.
3. God is Faithful in His Goodness!
The
whole underlining truth in this verse testifies to the goodness of our God!
David
is saying: -- “Down through the years -- the Lord has been good to me.” -- And God never changes!
And
if you look over your life --
you too will have to recognize the same.
God
is good all the time; -- all the time, God is good!
Oh --
Help us process it -- David!!
David
speaks of God’s goodness in the past
tense of his life: -- “I have been young...”
In
other words -- “God was good to me when I was young.”
I
don’t know about you -- but when I
was young -- I did some pretty foolish things; -- things that scare me even now
as I look back on them.
Some
of the things I did -- & some of the places I went -- well, I could have
been killed! -- Or, I could have gotten into some serious trouble!
Because I was young & foolish -- & didn’t see the danger that
lurked nearby; -- today I can only thank God that His hands were upon me.
David
also speaks about the present tense;
-- he says: “...& now I am
old.” -- & God still has His hands
upon me.
I am
no longer young -- now I am old -- but God
is still good.
As
for myself -- in a few more years -- I’ll be a senior citizen. -- (joke!)
My
hair is becoming less & less --
(for some of you it has turned white; --
that is a privilege I may never have); -- & my eye sight is not as sharp;
-- my steps is a little slower; -- but God
is still keeping me!
It
amazes me how some people refuse to give God praise -- when it’s obvious that it’s only the Lord Who’s keeping them!
Who
do you think woke you up this morning?
Who
do you think started you on your way?
You
checked the obituary column this morning -- (that’s what people do when they
get old) -- & you didn’t see your name in it -- so you figured it was safe
to step out the door -- & venture out to church.
You
may be arthritic -- but God is still good!
You
may have a bad heart -- but God is good!
You
may have high blood pressure -- but God is good!
You
may be diabetic -- but God is good!
And
when you know God is good -- you can’t help but saying like David did -- “I’ve
never seen the righteous forsaken -- nor his children beg for bread.”
David
is not saying -- “I’ve never been in
need.” -- We all get in need.
David
is not saying -- “There weren’t any
times in my life when I didn’t need someone to help me.” -- We all need a
little help from time to time.
David’s not saying -- “There
were no times in my life when I didn’t have to borrow a little from a friend.”
-- Every now & then we all need a little help to make ends meet.
But
what David is saying is -- “even through all of that -- I’ve never had a moment
in my life when God didn’t take care of me.”
Through it all -- I’ve leaned to trust in Jesus; -- I’ve learned to
trust in God! -- Through it all -- I’ve learned to trust upon His Word!
Through
it all -- God is still on the throne -- & He cares for His own.
Through it all -- God still works. -- Through it all -- prayer still
works.
Through it all -- paying my tithe still works.
Through it all -- faith in God still works.
Through it all -- serving God still works.
Through it all -- the Holy Spirit still works.
Through it all -- God is faithful -- & God is good!
The only way you can learn these things is
to experience them -- & discover for yourself that God is good!
Conclusion:
My friends -- God is truly an awesome God!
David
was right! -- God is so faithful!!
God is so very faithful in His never failing
presence!
God
is so very faithful in the many, many provisions He bestows upon us
freely! -- & God is so very faithful
in His goodness!
Because of the faithfulness & the goodness of God --
those who accept Jesus Christ -- when they die -- they simply move from an
earthly level of God’s goodness -- to a heavenly level of God’s goodness!
If it
were not for the fact that God is faithful -- & God is good -- you & I
would not have a chance to go live with God when we leave this old sin-filled
world.
But
thanks be to God -- that He forgives us through the shed blood of His only
begotten Son!
But my
dear friends -- notice that expression -- “the righteous” -- the godly -- the
holy!
God
desires a holy people! -- And God honors a holy & godly & Christ-like
life!
How
are you doing spiritually? -- Are you living in a way that is pleasing to God?
-- Are you doing what you know to be right?
-- Are you seeking to live a Christ-like life? -- A godly life?
If so
-- you will always experience the faithfulness of God!
If
you have not already done so -- my dear friend -- turn your life over to Christ
today -- & one of these days -- you too will be able to say with David: --
“I have been young -- & now I am old; -- yet I have not seen the righteous
forsaken -- nor their children begging for bread.”