“I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.” Psalm 71:16-18
Recently a beloved member of our church family passed on to her heavenly reward. Over the past few years, due to health issues, she has not been able to get out to church very often. But every time she was able to be there, she always had a beautiful smile and a friendly greeting for everyone of us. People who visited her in the home she was in, always came away blessed. The caretakers loved her and would stop into her room even when they didn’t need to because she always lifted their spirits. She will be greatly missed. What a heritage she has left for us of being a blessing to others.
For the older ladies who are reading this, you may feel sometimes like there is not much you can do for the kingdom of God. Don’t let the enemy tell you that you are no longer needed, or that no one listens to what you have to say. There are still many ways that you can be involved in the work of the Lord. One of the most important things you can do is to pray for your family, and for your church family. Our Seniors’ group asked our Pastor’s wife to give us a list of all the young people in our church, and we pray for them regularly. This has been more urgent during the past year, because so many of them have not been able to fellowship together like they used to.
In this day and age, the Lord has given us avenues to reach out that were not available before. If you belong to a social media group, maybe the Lord would have you post each day. You could simply quote a scripture and explain how it has been a blessing for you. You could share an experience from your life where God was real to you and answered prayer on your behalf. Not on the internet, ask the Lord to lay someone on your heart and phone them. The Lord knows who needs encouragement or comfort today, and He will direct your call at the right moment. Also, old fashioned hand-written letters can be a blessing.
No matter how long the Lord allows us to live, He still has something for us to do. As the Psalmist prayed in our Scripture above, “Lord, don’t forsake me until I have showed your strength to this generation.” Age is not a barrier to being a blessing.
Prayer: Thank you Lord for teaching us and guiding us through our lives. Help us to share the blessings you have given us to others in whatever way you lead us.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
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