GOD, GIVE ME…US…SUCH A HEART.

{2012}

I Got off the phone speaking with a dear friend, he has had cancer and got to speak this past week, I shared with him from Psalm 71:18 of a Godly old man who was going through great struggles, opposition in his life and yet his heart desire was, “Now that I am old and grey, do not abandon me O GOD, Let me PROCLAIM Your Power to this New Generation, Your mighty miracles to all who come after me.” I shared with him, that even a Godly old man can have fears and false concepts about God, but we see the heart of this warrior come though. No…God would not abandon him…This was a false concept, a fear that was not grounded in God, but even the Godliest can have moments of doubts, fears, struggles. We see his heart was not to look for a place of retirement for retirement sake but for OPPORTUNITIES TO PROCLAIM GOD to another generation.

His DESIRE was to INVEST into a new generation and not talk about “the good old days,” but to speak to them of  his GOD! HIS power, HIS Miracles- He was intent- As long as he was drawing breath he desired to use it to invest in another generation and speak of God!!! I shared with this dear man, this is what he was doing, investing deliberately into the lives of others- TESTIFYING OF GOD. Of what He had known of Him from a child and i his youth and now in his old age. He knew God increasingly, intimately from His Word and in his life and his faith, hope and praise were anchored in Him amidst the storms that surrounded him, the evil men that sought his hurt and the sruggles within!

The storms of life test us, seek to deceive, raise doubts and cast us into despair and often they do. It is only as we get to know the Person of God through His Word and learn that He can be TRUSTED and that we can HOPE in Him and praise Him for who He is, that we begin like the seed of an Oak tree, that grows amidst the elements of life, grow strong to stand and withstand.Such was the Godly old man before us. His was not a life of ease but one of various experiences, difficulties and yet shining through it all is not a man who was bitter but one who counted his blessings and was single eyed in his desire to pass on what he knew of the One true and living God!

I am just getting off a sick bed for the last couple of weeks since I last spoke and all as I could say today to the LORD was “Here am I,LORD SEND Me!”… and while I was thinking I said, “Lord do You know what I want?{As if He didn’t!} I want my kids to be set apart for and to go with the Gospel. That our family would further the kingdom and be about Kingdom business.” A few hours later one of my boys came to my bedroom and said “Dad I know what I want to do. I want to be in ministry- and help people!” So, now to pray for opportunities to do as this Godly old man in Psalm 71 and my dear friend who has suffered with cancer do- and PROCLAIM THE GREATNESS OF GOD, HIS POWER, HIS MIRACLES- and INVEST into the Next Generation. How I would love to finish my life as a Psalm 71:18 man and to have no greater joy than to see my children do likewise.

This week, one is on a missionary trip, another working with a youth group and looks like helping with our ministry for the summer… another is constantly pouring her life into young women… and dear Cindee who constantly pours her life into the family and others.

Would you pray for this dear man who has shared this week, the LORD to encourage him.

* Would you be kind enough to please Pray for OPPORTUNITIES for me and mine to PROCLAIM HIM. I know I get very ill after I stand and speak but I would like to keep going if it would please Him.

I spoke with another friend this evening and being very generous said, “In 40 years we will be in eternity, what else matters But to be about His business. If that means flipping burgers for Jesus, going with the Gospel, supporting those who do… we need to have an eternal perspective. The dear old man in Psalm 71:18 – he had it. God save us from the futility of wasting our life, chasing after the temporal but instead pursue the Eternal the souls of men, the giving so people can go with the Gospel , praying to that end and looking in our own lives to be a PSALM 71:18 person, proclaiming, investing into another generation of the GREATNESS OF GOD!

Maybe you could memorize this verse- pray it for yourself, family….pray it for me and mine and our Ministry….

Today, my wife told me of a man who was having his life support machine cut off and he was heading to eternity with Jesus, how I envy him in one way- from all accounts he was a Psalm 71:18 man. His race is over… who will tell the next generation? Will you? Are you? Will I ? Am I? It is wonderful to hear how well some people are doing at universities and proud moms and dads boast so- but what about ETERNITY. Are their loved ones investing into eternal souls where they are? If you read Psalm 71 you will see this Godly old person in times of trouble looks back to the protection of the Lord when he was a babe, His faithfulness towards him when he was a youth and now in Old Age His DESIRE- TO PROCLAIM HIM- THE PLEA of a GODLY old person is ALWAYS for MORE, MORE, MORE opportunities to PROCLAIM HIM.

 

DON’T LEMENT- SEIZE THE MOMENT- LIVE IN THE NOW!

You are valuable to the Kingdom of God- the older you are, the MORE you realize most of your life is behind you, DON’T LEMENT. LIVE NOW. SEIZE THE MOMENT TO LOVE GOD AND SERVE OTHERS FOR HIS SAKE!

INVEST INTO THE NEXT GENERATION BY TELLING OTHERS OF JESUS CHRIST. WHO HE IS, HOW HE HAS MADE HIMSELF KNOWN TO YOU.

PRAY-

SHARE-

INVEST-

FINISH STRONG…FIXING YOUR EYES ON GOD AS REVEALED IN HIS WORD- TRUST IN HIS CHARACTER, HOPE IN HIM- PROCLAIM HIM

Finish as a PSALM 71:18- A GODLY OLD PERSON SEEKING TO INVEST IN THE NEXT GENERATION~

God grant us such a heart….
with love and prayers towards those who read this…. “forget what lies behind, press on…” to PROCLAIM THE GREATNESS OF GOD!