Nearing Home - Billy Graham [27]
The book of Hebrews has a lot to say about wills and testaments: “In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living” (Hebrews 9:16–17). Jesus came and dwelt among mankind. He was the example of how to live—and how to die. He came to die so that we may live. He also was resurrected in order to fulfill the promise He made: “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2 NKJV). This is why the Bible says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15). This is a wonderful last will and testament. We may grow impatient with our circumstances in our remaining years of life, but as we wait for the reunion with our Savior, let’s recall God’s will for us: “Be joyful always; . . . give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, emphasis added).
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FADING STRENGTH BUT STANDING STRONG
Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
Do not forsake me when my strength fails.
—PSALM 71:9 NKJV
Stand up to your obstacles. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have.
—NORMAN VINCENT PEALE
The headline of an article that appeared in 2010 on a Tokyo website stated, “A robot suit that gives super strength to the elderly.” Included was a picture of the power suit modeled not by a senior adult but by an athletic youth. The caption stated that the heavy-duty suit weighs sixty-six pounds and will be originally priced at 1 million yen (approximately $12,000). I asked myself, “How many my age have the strength to carry around sixty-six pounds for an hour, much less all day; and who could possibly afford such an expense?” I was relieved that the article indicated that there were no plans to sell the suits overseas. I’ll just be content struggling to get my shoes on each morning!
I had to look carefully at the article to discern just how an exoskeleton suit made of metal and plastic could give any strength. The secret was not in the suit but in the eight electric motors and sensors responding to commands through a voice-recognition system, enabling the body to lift and bend without strain to the muscles. While this futuristic invention may never be seen in our department stores, the brainstorming behind it reveals man’s desire for strength and power beyond himself.
A sixty-five-year-old father was helping his son move into a new house. When the son told his buddies about it, he said, “Dad and I were trying to move the freezer into the kitchen. I went to the garage to get the hand truck. When I returned, my dad had moved the freezer across the deck and into the kitchen the hard way—by sheer strength! My first response was to remind him he could have thrown his back out or pulled a muscle. Then I saw the twinkle in his eye. He was proud of his accomplishment, and I have to say, I was proud of him. Old man strength came to mind, and I concluded that there was a lot I could learn from this man with the silver hair who has always stood strong and exhibited sheer determination.”
The Bible says, “The glory of young men is their strength, And the splendor of old men is their gray head” (Proverbs 20:29 NKJV). Young people often take for granted the strength and wisdom the aged can still possess, and the aged sometimes push the limits of their wisdom! But I can certainly remember as a young man thinking of my father as one with great strength. He was a farmer. He worked with his hands. And as he grew older, my respect grew deeper for his strength of wisdom.
As I am living much longer than my father did, one of my great surprises in the aging process has been the loss of strength to do the simplest things: getting up from a chair, having endurance to visit with someone longer than an hour, or just going to the doctor’s office.