Rev. Don Campbell
Psalms 81, 88, 92-93
THOUGHT FOR TODAY, April 28, 2019
“SAPPY SENIOR SAINTS”
Our title may appear to disparage senior saints. Quite to the contrary, but before we can reach that conclusion, we must explore our readings. As stated on Wednesday, the Psalms take us from the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat. Asaph exhorts, “Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob! (81:1). In Psalm 88:18, the composer says, “You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness [Or “darkness has become my only companion]. The Lord reigns is the theme of Psalm 93: “Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting (v.2)
Our focus is on Psalm 92, which speaks of God’s steadfast love (v.2), the greatness of God’s works and the depth of his thoughts, which the stupid and fools cannot grasp. They spring up quickly and flourish for a while, but they are doomed (vv.5-8). Then we come to verses 12-15: “The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of God. They bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” In contrast to grass which springs up quickly, but dies quickly, are the palm tree and cedar.
Our bones may grow brittle as we age, but our spirits will remain green if we are full of sap. Paul comments on this: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). When the Spirit of God dwells in us (2 Corinthians 5:5) we will remain green even in old age. In Psalm 92, bearing fruit in old age meant declaring the righteousness of God. While we always want to declare the righteousness of God, we want to do more: declare the grace of God: “Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, ‘I believed, and so I spoke,’ we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that AS GRACE EXTENDS TO MORE AND MORE PEOPLE IT MAY INCREASE THANKSGIVING, TO THE GLORY OF GOD” (2 Corinthians 4:13-15).
There is nothing sadder than a senior saint who is disgruntled with life, disparaging of the next generation, and discouraging to those with drooping hands and weak knees (Hebrews 12:12). The problem is one of focus: They focus on the past, on the aches and pains of the body, and the ease of others when they should have their eyes fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2).
CONNECTIONS
1. Over the past 55 years I have visited many senior saints, some in their homes, some in nursing facilities. With some I dreaded the visit. With others, I looked forward to it. No matter how brightly the sunshine of God’s love shone upon them, some could see only the clouds of doubt and despair. Others, even in the midst of turbulent storms, always had sunshine in their souls. Do you have sap in your soul? Will you praise God to the next generation?
2. When I was about 10 years old, my mother used to encourage me to go visit “Aunt Mollie Mosley” who was bedfast, had one eye, and very little in the way of worldly goods. As a young man, I thought that Mom had been teaching me to respect and encourage such senior saints. On more mature reflection, I think she might have been saying this is what a sappy, senior saint looks like. I don’t remember the content of a single conversation we had, but I can still see the gleam in her one eye and hear the joy in her voice. I saw our visits as my visiting her to encourage her; she saw them as my visiting her that she might encourage me. Has there been an “Aunt Mollie” in your life? Will you be an “Aunt Mollie,” or an “Uncle Gene’? (A widower who “adopted” my three little ones who looked forward to their visits with him)
