Those of you who have been with us through years may recall that I love McIntosh apples (God's favorite apple also). Today I was blessed to consume the finest specimen of a McIntosh I have ever enjoyed. I would attempt to describe the fragrance, texture, and flavor of this jewel of the Lord's creation and a New York farmer's cultivation. The attempt would be pointless, however, so just trust me that of the hundreds of these apples I have eaten during my lifetime, today's edition was the best (trust me also that Mcintosh are the Lord's favorite. It would be pointless to argue the obvious…).
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life" (Psalm 23:6).
As we get older, we can become jaded about life and expectation. Nothing could be further from the Lord's will for His trusting children in the Lord Jesus Christ. "Charity (love)… hopeth all things" (I Corinthians 13:7). Surely we will all experience challenges of the aging process. However, failure to know the Lord's goodness in the midst of all has nothing to do with circumstance, condition, or situation, but rather with anticipation. Do we expect "goodness and mercy" during the entirety of our lives, as affirmed by the Psalmist? Or will we surrender to the unbelief of despair because "the outward man perishes?" (II Corinthians 4:16). A Biblical faith in the Lord Jesus commands and demands our confidence that no matter what, our best days lie ahead as we "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:18).
I couldn't 't help but think of Jim Kelly, the one hundred year old brother in Christ who, before his passing, lived at a retirement community where we do services. If I asked Jim how he was doing, his invariable response still rings in my ears: "You know, Glen, I think this is the best day of my life!" And Jim meant it! He knew about love hoping all things, and he discovered that the goodness and mercy that followed him in every day also overtook him with the grace of every day. I thought about that as I enjoyed the best McIntosh apple of my life this morning. And it steeled my resolve to join King David and Jim in the expectation of faith that anticipates God's ongoing presence and blessing. There are great days ahead in Christ, both in this life and forevermore. Let us go forth to meet them!
"My expectation is from Him."
(Psalm 62:5)
No comments:
Post a Comment