September 13, 2004

[Rev. Doc]

Aging

"Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone."
Deuteronomy 34:7

There are hundreds of products on the market which claim they will make you look and feel years younger. In reality, nothing will ever totally reverse the aging process. We all continue to grow older. As believers, our great desire should be that, with the time the Lord gives us, we will use the time wisely, serving Him.
The great evangelist George Whitefield was relating the difficulties of the gospel ministry to some friends. He said that he was weary of the burdens and was glad that his work would soon be over and that he would depart this earthly scene to be with Christ. The others admitted having similar feelings -- all except one, a Mr. Tennant. Noting this, Whitefield tapped him on the knee and said, "Well, Brother Tennant, you are the oldest among us; do you not rejoice to think that your time is so near at hand when you will be called Home?"

The old man answered bluntly that he had no wish about it. When pressed for something more definite, he added, "I have nothing to do with death. My business is to live as long as I can, and as well as I can, and serve my Savior as faithfully as I can, until He thinks it's time to call me Home." Whitefield accepted that word as a gentle rebuke from the Lord, and it helped him go on with his work calmly and patiently.

Prayer: Ask God to help you be a faithful servant with each new day He gives you.

"Tennis is a game for young people. Until age 25, you can play singles. From there until age 35, you should play doubles. I won't tell you my age, but when I played, there were 28 people on the court -- just on my side of the net."
~George Burns