Devotions

“You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream” – C.S. Lewis

I came across this thought from C.S. Lewis a few weeks ago. It had me asking … am I too old to dream?

Recently I began a small group meeting on Wednesdays. The church where the meeting was held had a dinner preceding the small groups. I asked to join a table and there I met an older woman who was talking about her birthday party. She told me she was throwing it for herself since she would be turning 75 in a few days. She figured three-quarters of a century was a milestone and she planned to celebrate.

It took me a moment to realize that I will be three-quarters of a century in December. I guess I too am coming up on a milestone.  So, at almost 75, suddenly, Lewis’ thought seems so much more relevant. Am I too old to set another goal or to dream?

Then I remembered God’s Promise of His Spirit in Joel 2:28: “After this I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions.” [HCSB]

God poured out His Spirit upon me personally in August of 1973, at the age of 26, almost 50 years ago! I became as Paul promised a temple of God’s Spirit. “Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.” [1 Corinthians 6:19-20 HCSB]

I figure if the Spirit of God in old men means “old men will have dreams,” then the Spirit of God in old women means they can have dreams also.

So, LORD, this old woman wants to know what her new dreams and goals will be. Amen

I have been spending time in 2Timothy. I was planning on reading and studying the entire letter, but I cannot seem to make it past those middle verses in the opening chapter. Every verse built more truth on top of the preceding one and I found such depth in words like power, ashamed, evident.

As I read verse 10 once again, I found another word I really embraced.  “This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” [2 Timothy 1:10 HCSB]

I love words and the word I fell in love with this morning is abolished (katargeó). It means to make of no effect, to be totally without force, done away with, completely brought down.

What a wonderful word, especially so when applied to death! Christ Jesus, our Savior, not only made evident our salvation and holy calling with His life, but through His death, resurrection, and ascension, He abolished our death and brought us life and immortality. What Good News!

I have been reading Psalm 91 and contemplating what it means to dwell in the shadow of the Most High in verse 1: “The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.” A shadow cannot hurt us. It provides protection from the heat.

I also remember what David wrote in psalm 23, “yea as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for you are with me ….”

Those who believe in Christ Jesus have had death abolished. It has no force to act against us. When our bodies reach the end of their number of days, we walk through the shadow of death into our immortality … all because of our Savior and LORD.

We recently sang the Chris Tomlin song, “Amazing Love,” on a Sunday morning. That song always goes right to my heart. We hit the chorus and I am overwhelmed, “Amazing love, how can it be, that you my King would die for me. Amazing love, I know it’s true and it’s my joy to honor You, in all I do, I honor You.”

I get up in the morning. I see myself in the mirror. What is reflected back is the image of an old woman, white hair, wrinkles, turkey neck and a host of other not so pleasant descriptions. It is not what I see on the inside, but what others see on the outside.

What I sometimes see on the inside is perhaps even worse. I see someone who often allows anger or arrogance or impatience to emerge. I see someone who did not live as well as they could have. I see someone with some regrets and some things done right, some sorrows and some joys. I see someone who often fails, and I see someone who usually gets back up and tries again.

In other words, I see an imperfect human being.  So that question in the song, “how can it be” that my LORD and my King would die for me oft times overwhelms. Why, LORD, would you die for me? I cannot comprehend why if I look only at myself through my own eyes.

But see that is the problem, looking at ourselves (inside & outside) only through our own eyes, or even the eyes of others or the world. Once we surrender to our LORD and Savior, we become the home of God’s Holy Spirit. He takes up residence within us. We are then to only view ourselves through the eyes of the One who loves us most and best.  He sees us far differently than the world, the enemy of our soul, even our own flesh.

2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

When my LORD sees me, He sees the new creation … not the old that has passed away. When we look at ourselves, we are to also see the new creation, not the old that has passed away. Glory!

Talley Trio “His Life for Mine”   Talley Trio . His Life For Mine. - Bing video