YOUNG FOREVER

Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless his holy name!…Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.  Psalms 103:1-5

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40: 31

We need never grow old in attitude. Even if our bodies get slow, then finally go, we ourselves need never grow old. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. Life is made to enjoy. We have good things to speak because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. When our confession lines up to the abundant life of the gospel, our inward youth is retained. We stay excited about life and the endless possibilities that flow from God. The spirit man flies heavenly in the face of the storm. The gale winds only push him higher. The spirit man, united with the Spirit of God in Christ, is not subject to the law of sin and death. He can run and not be weary. Blessed is the man who learns to walk according to the Greater One living on the inside. He is young forever!

And, on the physical side, God will cause us to enjoy the good things to eat and drink in order to take care of the temple. Simple obedience to the promptings of the Holy Spirit will get the job done here. That’s the bottom line in this area as it is in every area of our life. Such constant communion with God is a wonderful privilege that keeps our conscience clear and our love and faith flowing, which in turn works to keep us young. Stress in itself is a killer. Stress while in communion with God, according to the apostle Paul, can actually be a source of joy!

Paul, by learning to cooperate with and draw on God’s ability in the face of adversities, learned that God’s grace was sufficient for every challenge. Through his dependence on God, his weakness was exchanged for God’s strength.  So he said “Most gladly” would he glory in his weakness so that the power of Christ could rest upon him. He went on to say, “Therefore I take pleasure in” my own inabilities, in reproaches for the gospel’s sake, in necessities of daily life, in persecutions, and yes, in “distresses” for Christ’s sake! “For when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12: 9, 10).  Through his dependence on God, Paul kept a young, vibrant, victorious outlook on life. He was living the abundant life, mounted up on wings of eagles, the winds of stress only sending him higher and higher into God’s plans, purposes, and provisions. He lived this way until his mission was accomplished. Then, “swoosh”! The eagle flew straight up into heaven! What a way to go! 2-23-15

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