Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread. Psalms 37:25 NLT
I’m at that place in life where I have more years behind me than in front of me. I have lived a full life and have been blessed by God in so many ways.
The opening words of this verse, in Psalm 37, could have been written by any of us - for they speak a truth that each of us knows all too well. “I have been young and now I’m old.”
Whether we want to admit or not, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second, you and I are getting old! It’s a reality that many people try to escape or run away from.
Old age brings about change!
-You used to be able to stay up all night long…now you have to take a nap after lunch!
-You used to be able to run like a deer… now you move like a snail!
-You used to be able eat anything your little heart desired, without fear of indigestion… but now, when you eat, you have to stay up awhile and let it digest!
-You used to never have to take medicine… but now you have to take a pill for everything!
The opening words of this verse, in Psalm 37, could have been written by any of us - for they speak a truth that each of us knows all too well. “I have been young and now I’m old.”
Whether we want to admit or not, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second, you and I are getting old! It’s a reality that many people try to escape or run away from.
Old age brings about change!
-You used to be able to stay up all night long…now you have to take a nap after lunch!
-You used to be able to run like a deer… now you move like a snail!
-You used to be able eat anything your little heart desired, without fear of indigestion… but now, when you eat, you have to stay up awhile and let it digest!
-You used to never have to take medicine… but now you have to take a pill for everything!
Things change and we change BUT GOD NEVER CHANGES!
He’s the same yesterday, today and forever! And if look back over your life, you have to recognize that “Down through the years, the Lord has been good to you!”
First of all, in this passage, David speaks of God’s goodness in the past tense of his life: “I have been young…” In other words, God was good to me when I was young. In other words, the places I went, that I could have been killed in, because I was young and foolish and didn’t see the danger that lurked in certain situations… but still God had His hands on me!
And that’s just the past tense! Let’s talk about the present tense. David says, "I’m no longer young - now I’m old!"
--My hair has turned grey…
--My eyesight has gotten dim…
--My back hurts…
… But guess what? God is still keeping me! And… He is keeping you right now also.
- You may be arthritic, but God is good!
- You may have a bad heart, but God is good!
- You may have high blood pressure, but God is good!
- You may be diabetic, but God is good!
...And when you know God is good, you can’t help but say like David says here: “I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread.”
David is not saying, “I’ve never been in need.” We all have needs.
David is not saying, “there weren’t any times in my life when I didn’t need somebody to help me.” We all need a little help every now and again!
David’s not saying, “there were no times in my life when I didn’t have to borrow from a friend till my check came.”
You might have more bills than you have money! But David said, “even through all of that, I never had a moment in my life when God didn’t take of me!”
Never David? Never is a pretty strong word. Never means: notwithstanding, there’s absolutely no question about it, there’s been no evidence of the contrary… "I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."
I’ve heard many a saint say something like this: “He may not come when you want Him, but He’s always on time!”
That is so true!
Never David? Never is a pretty strong word. Never means: notwithstanding, there’s absolutely no question about it, there’s been no evidence of the contrary… "I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."
I’ve heard many a saint say something like this: “He may not come when you want Him, but He’s always on time!”
That is so true!
I look back on my life and say that the Lord has been good to me and He has always been on time!"
If it were not for the fact that God is good, you and I would not have a chance to go live with God when we die. But thanks be that God forgives us through the blood of His only begotten son.
If it were not for the fact that God is good, you and I would not have a chance to go live with God when we die. But thanks be that God forgives us through the blood of His only begotten son.
Here’s a good story about the goodness of God. It’s about a young man who committed a crime and ended up in jail.
He was a very rebellious young man, who disobeyed his parents and ended up on the wrong side of the law. The law he broke sent him to prison for 8 years. He knew that his parents were hurt and embarrassed by his foolishness.
He was a very rebellious young man, who disobeyed his parents and ended up on the wrong side of the law. The law he broke sent him to prison for 8 years. He knew that his parents were hurt and embarrassed by his foolishness.
And as he sat, those eight years in prison, he thought about his mother and father and looked forward to the day when he could go home.
As time passed, he didn’t know if his father would let him come home or not, because his father had never answered his letters while he was in prison. So he wrote a letter to his mother and said, "Mom, in a few days I’m going to be released from prison and I’m going to take the train that comes by the family farm.“ ...And if you and dad have forgiven me and give me a new chance, I’d like you to tie a piece of yellow ribbon in the oak tree beside the railroad tracks. And as I‘m on the train, if I see that ribbon in the tree, I’ll know that I can jump off the train and that I’d been forgiven.” He said, “If I don’t see a ribbon, I’ll stay on the train. I’ll never come home again and you’ll never hear from me again.”
Well, the day came for his release from jail. He walked to the train station and bought him a ticket, and got on the train. With every turn of the wheels of the locomotive, his tension mounted, wondering if that piece of ribbon was going to be in the tree.
...And as the train rounded the bend that led to the family farm, he couldn’t stand to look, so he asked the man sitting across from him, "Sir, would you mind coming to the window and look out the window to see it you see a ribbon in that tree. It’s my family farm and I want to know if there is a ribbon in that tree.“
As time passed, he didn’t know if his father would let him come home or not, because his father had never answered his letters while he was in prison. So he wrote a letter to his mother and said, "Mom, in a few days I’m going to be released from prison and I’m going to take the train that comes by the family farm.“ ...And if you and dad have forgiven me and give me a new chance, I’d like you to tie a piece of yellow ribbon in the oak tree beside the railroad tracks. And as I‘m on the train, if I see that ribbon in the tree, I’ll know that I can jump off the train and that I’d been forgiven.” He said, “If I don’t see a ribbon, I’ll stay on the train. I’ll never come home again and you’ll never hear from me again.”
Well, the day came for his release from jail. He walked to the train station and bought him a ticket, and got on the train. With every turn of the wheels of the locomotive, his tension mounted, wondering if that piece of ribbon was going to be in the tree.
...And as the train rounded the bend that led to the family farm, he couldn’t stand to look, so he asked the man sitting across from him, "Sir, would you mind coming to the window and look out the window to see it you see a ribbon in that tree. It’s my family farm and I want to know if there is a ribbon in that tree.“
The man said, "Yes, I’ll do that for you." And as they came to the family farm, the boy said, "Do you see the ribbon" The man said, "No, I don’t see A RIBBON, I see hundreds of ribbons tied to every branch! I see ribbons tied to the clothes line. I see ribbons on the rose bushes. There are ribbons down the fence, there are even ribbons on the scarecrow! It looks like it snowed at that farm and it snowed ribbons!"
The man asked, “What does it mean?” The boy jumped off the train and said it means, "I’m forgiven and there’s a new beginning with my mother and my father."
The man asked, “What does it mean?” The boy jumped off the train and said it means, "I’m forgiven and there’s a new beginning with my mother and my father."
God is faithful and He always has been faithful. He is good to us and wants to do good things for us.
Look back on the events of your life. God has always been there and has never let go of you. He has been with you through every twist and turn and through every hardship that you’ve gone through. He has brought you this far and he will take you all the way through to the end.
And that, my friends, is something you can say “amen” to.
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