Wednesday, Apr 29, 2009

4-29 Growing Old and Godliness

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The bad thing about aging is growing old. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not old yet, but I am getting older. And as I get older I’m beginning to feel some of the aches and pains of aging. I’ve begun to wear wrist braces on both arms at night when I sleep to deal with Carpal Tunnel. I’ve got pains in my left elbow and back. Now, I’m not complaining! These pains just remind me of the inevitable. I’m going to get older, perhaps infirm and have to deal with all that elderly jazz. A friend… Dave, just got back from a family conference with his elderly parents. They had to deal with aging problems such as no more driving, selling the house, assisted care, memory loss and declining health. Dave is WAY older than I am! But I’m not too far behind! Then there is my ole mom (she reads this stuff!). I really don’t relish the day when we have to think about all those things. Nahh! She’s going to be healthy as a horse till the day she dies! I hope! Hi mom.

Today's Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 12; Proverbs 31; Romans 7
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com

Today’s thought comes from 2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?

How should we then live? The End is coming. If you don’t make it to The End, you will certainly come to the end of your own life… and shortly. Life happens so quickly. “Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear.” Yesterday I was a teenager, or so it seems, and tomorrow I’ll be an old man. The Psalmist described the passing of the years “like yesterday… and like a watch in the night… like grass… In the morning it flourishes and grows up; in the evening it is cut down and withers… it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” Psalm 90. Since all these things we know as “our life” will soon be dissolved, what kind of a person should I be? I suppose we could choose the epicurean philosophy, “Eat, drink, party, for tomorrow we die,” But that is self defeating if there is a Judgment Day coming. There are three responses we should take instead. #1 Develop a life of holy conduct. #2 Live a life of godliness. #3 Live a life of expectation and hope for His coming. Holy conduct has to do with the way we live in our relationship to others and godliness has to do with our attitude and response to God. As far as other people go, we should live in such a way that they can see Jesus in us. Our behavior ought to be clearly and noticeably Christ like. Jesus laid out Kingdom living in His Sermon on the Mount. Those behaviors should become ours. But we can’t really live that way until we are passionately and wholly in love with Jesus. Godliness comes before holiness. To be godly means that you know God intimately. You have to spend the time with God in private before it changes your life in public. And if you love Him, you will want the time to hasten by so you can see Him face to face. Even so, Lord Jesus come!

Even so, Lord Jesus, come. Help me to live a holy life… even more, I want to know You intimately. I want to be with You and have your presence fill my life. May it be said of me that “he was a man who knew his God!” There is nothing better than Time with God!

The LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 10:03 AM |  MAKE A COMMENT  

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