God's Faithfulness

I am currently reading through Isaiah. What a joy it was to read of the Lord’s faithfulness to us no matter how old we are in this world’s time. It is true that all time living on this earth is short, very, very short. But as we do age and grow older, it is a great comfort to know that our Father has as His intentional will to care for us, carry us, support us and rescue us. (Note that He says He will carry us twice!)

Having recently retired from almost 40 years as a congregational pastor, I have gone through finding my identity in Jesus rather than in a position, status, call, or purpose. And as I begin to realise that I am likely to wake up with some part of my anatomy aching that I did not even know existed, that those stairs that I used to run up two at a time without running out of breath now leave me stopping at the top to catch my breath just from walking slowly up them, I am faced with the fact that there are some things that I just can’t do the way I did, go the way I did, and face the way I did.

But as I have repented of having defined myself by what I did for Christ Jesus and not by who I am in Christ Jesus, I have a clearer awareness of my true self and my true ministry in Him as I reach out beyond myself to serve Abba in the new places in which He calls me - with a renewed sense of meaning, not grounded in what I do but in who He is.

And I know that, no matter how old we are, God will still take care of us, carry us, support us, rescue us, and use us for His purposes. We are to carry out His will in the battle for the kingdom which Jesus has won for us in His victory on the cross.

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for standing by me as I age in You and in life. Forgive me for seeking my identity in things other than Your Son, Jesus. Help me to live each day as Your adopted son who only lives to follow Jesus and serve You for as many days as I have on this earth to be faithful to You and Your love for me. Amen.