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Forever Young? Beware-Major Fiery Dart!

Nov15

Celebrated my 45th high school class reunion yesterday.  Discovered that with age there’s a beautiful benefit–maturity!  My former classmates and I are approaching 65 (dare I type that number!).  The society we live in preaches that being young is better.  Even if you’re not young in age you should try to look young and act young for as long as possible!  WOW, talk about a major fiery dart!

Let me ask you all a question.  Why are we suppose to do all that we do to stay young looking?  Well, one more question.  Why are we suppose to resist growing older?  Ok, one more.  What’s wrong with growing older?

I LOVE what the Bible has to say about growing older.  Here are a few verses to help you get the right perspective on aging.

Leviticus 19:32

“Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.” (NIV) 


Society has gotten it all mixed up.  Instead of showing respect for those of us who are growing older they look upon us as a burden.  

I am relieved that the final word, the word that makes a difference in my life, tells me that the aged should be respected.  

Thank you God for showing me the beauty of growing older: 

“Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.” (NIV) Proverbs 16:31 (Gray hair is a crown of splendor!  That’s an adornment, right? Sure is!)

“Wisdom is with aged men, With long life is understanding.” (NASB) Job 12:12

(As we grow older, wisdom and understanding is part of the package. Nice!)

“The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.” (NIV) Proverbs 20:29 (There’s that splendor reference again.  Oh, how good that makes me feel!  Listen, gray hair softens the look of wrinkles. That’s a fact! I heard it from a beautician who ought to know about such things.)

“Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.” (ESV) Proverbs 23:22 (When I’m old, God tells my children to listen to me and show respect. Oh yeah, I like that)

“I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime – until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” (NLT) Isaiah 46:3-4  (God says to me that I won’t have to worry about Him forsaking me when I’m old.  He’s gonna care for me all the way through. Now that’s reassuring!)


16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Cor 4:16-18 (NKJV) (As we grow older, our ‘inner man’ is being renewed. The things that can be seen–our gray hair, wrinkles, bodies that are wearing down, all those things that are happening on the outside, they don’t have eternal significance–they are just temporary! But the renewed inner person–now that’s significant and it’s eternal! Yahoo!)


Wow! That sure puts a difference perspective on things, doesn’t it!


There’s a lot to look forward to in growing older.  Like:

Grandchildren!

Retirement – no more racing the clock!

Time – to spend with God!

Time – to enjoy accomplishing some of those things on your Bucket List!

Time – to spend with your loved ones!

Did I mention – TIME!

Wisdom – Finally you ‘Get It’ about some things!

Understanding – Confusion about some things start

 clearing up!

Respect – Yep! Comes with the territory!

People start listening to you more!

The softening effect of gray hair!

Assurance – God will not forsake you!

Paying off your mortgage!

Renewal

I could go on and on, but this gets you started.  So my advice friends is to let God’s Word define your thoughts on aging.  The world will shoot you some mighty foolish thoughts (fiery darts) concerning aging, so put up your shield of faith and resist them.

You keep listening to God and you’re gonna realize there is a lot to look forward to as you get older.   His plans are so good! (Jer. 29:11)   

Defining Fiery Darts

Nov15

 

In order to help you gain a better understanding of what I mean by fiery darts, I have included two excerpts from my book.  

* * *

What we think determines how we feel and what we feel influences our actions.  A negative action is often the result of negative thinking.  Understandably, if Satan can negatively influence our thinking then temptations to act negatively will be harder for us to resist.  Therefore, negative thinking because of its destructive power can be described as a weapon.  A weapon Satan skillfully uses to demoralize individuals in God’s army. (p. 15)

 

Before Satan can be successful with the use of fiery darts, he must do a little groundwork.  In order for us to be desensitized toward the lies of fiery darts, we must have our understanding of the Truths of Scripture diminished.  By tempting us to spend little time in God’s Word, our ability to recognize the lies of fiery darts is equally diminished if we give in to that temptation.  In the place of God’s Truth, the world’s concept of truth begins to define our thinking. (p. 23)


* * *

  Let me ask you a question.  Do you have much trouble finding time for Bible study?  If you are like most of us, the answer is yes.  You desire to have a quiet time or time of devotion.  You desire to have it regularly, but something always seems to interfere.  

Here are some of the fiery darts you may encounter when you are attempting to have Bible study:

  • I don’t have time now so I’ll do it later. 
  • I’m too tired or too sleepy.
  • There are just too many distractions.
  • This just isn’t a good time.
  • I just don’t feel like it.

It’s not coincidental that the above types of thoughts trouble us when we are prompted by the Holy Spirit to  spend time in prayer and Bible study.  Keeping us out of God’s Word and keeping us from spending time in prayer are the two most formidable fiery darts used by the Enemy.  He can manipulate us with ease if we are weak in these two disciplines. 


Question?

So, what thoughts or fiery darts attack you when you are trying to make time to pray and study your Bible?


Negative Thinking Redefined

Nov15

 I’d like to post a quote from my book to introduce you to the concept of fiery darts.

* * *
Introduction
      Have you ever been a victim of your own thinking?  Have thoughts ever paralyzed you or driven you to do something you knew was wrong or, at least, just not good for you? Are you susceptible to those who question the stand you take for God to the point that you become more concerned with what they think than you do with what God thinks? Have you ever experienced the exhilaration of making a commitment to God, only to weaken in your resolve a short time later?  Has confusion ever been so great in your mind that you found you were frozen in your steps and unable to move forward or even back to God?  Do you find yourself growing less and less sensitive to sin?  These types of questions are troubling to any believer, of course.  And, a walk of faith troubled by any or all of these questions results in a life characterized by very few peaks and far too many valleys.
         Satan has at his disposal a vast arsenal of weapons with which to wage war against God’s people.  While it is obvious he often draws upon weapons such as war, evil rulers, persecution, discrimination, poverty, adultery, murder, and broken homes, to highlight only a few, there is one weapon that is so subtle many Christians fail to recognize it as a weapon at all! This weapon is negative thinking or what I have come to call fiery darts, a weapon seemingly insignificant yet incredibly dangerous.  It is the purpose of this book to expose this weapon and reveal how its destructiveness can be subdued.
* * *
(My comments re the above)
Negative thinking or fiery darts are subtle. For years I was clueless about how I had been manipulated by them. But now that God has revealed the strategy Satan has been using against me, the enemy does not find me so vulnerable.  It’s not that I don’t have to deal with fiery darts now that I’m knowledgeable about them, it’s just they don’t possess the power to manipulate me like they use to do.

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Nov15

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