The Best Season Yet

THIS 15-DAY DEVOTIONAL is filled with encouraging stories to help those in their golden years learn more about God. The Bible tells us that “there is a time for everything, and season for every activity under the heavens�. In looking back over your life so far, why not explore what God is offering us? Discover the eternal home that God created us for, and how we can lead blessed lives both in this world and the next.

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BEST SEASON YET With Reflections from Our Daily Bread

the

BEST SEASON YET With Reflections from Our Daily Bread

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Editorial Team: Monica Brands, Anne Cetas, Tom Felten, Tim Gustafson, J.R. Hudberg, Alyson Kieda, Becky Knapp, Peggy Willison Interior design by Mary Tham Cover design by Mary Tham Cover photo by shutterstock.com © 2019 Our Daily Bread Ministries. All rights reserved.

Printed in Indonesia First Printing in 2019

CONTENTS Foreword A Blessed Life.......................................................................................................... 5 Day 1: He Knows Your Name....................................................................... 8 Day 2: Looking for Proof ........................................................................... 10 Day 3: Birthday Celebration ..................................................................... 12 Day 4: An Enduring Happiness ............................................................... 14 Day 5: How to Grow Old ............................................................................. 16 Day 6: Resurrection and Life ................................................................... 18 Day 7: The Best Season Yet ...................................................................... 20 Special Article What If the Church Is More than Just Hypocrites?............................ 22 Day 8: You Have Value................................................................................. 28 Day 9: Work that Won’t Burn .................................................................. 30 Day 10: Unopened Tomorrows .................................................................. 32 Day 11: A Laughing Faith ............................................................................ 34 Day 12: A Mystery Solved ............................................................................ 36 Day 13: Your Last Day ................................................................................... 38 Day 14: Life’s Final Deadline ..................................................................... 40 Day 15: To Be Continued ............................................................................. 42 Special Article Hopeful Days Are Ahead! .............................................................................. 44

A BLESSED LIFE

It is a true blessing to live in Australia. Many people from around the world envy the beautiful scenery and clean air that we are able to enjoy here. We are blessed with magnificent landscapes and amazing animals that only exist here in our country, a land of sunburnt plains.

Perhaps your life here has been a blessed one, and perhaps it has been less so. Maybe there have been times of joy, triumph, and contentment, but also times of trial, pain, and grief. It’s been a long road.

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Maybe you grew up in hard times. Your parents had to live through two world wars and a great depression, which affected their lives greatly. Many went off to fight in distant lands, some never to return. There were days where there was not much food on the table.

Then came the prosperous years of the late 1940s and 1950s. A wave of new immigrants arrived, escaping the destruction and troubles of Europe. In 1956, television was launched in Australia in time to cover the Melbourne Olympic Games. The latter half of the 1950s and the first half of the 1960s was a period of full employment and prosperity. The baby boom began. Those were good times.

The 1960s were a time of change. The new immigrants from the 1950s began to influence culture, women demanded equal rights, and many demonstrated against the Vietnam War. The years went by fast. The 1980s, 1990s, the turn of the century, and now here we are, almost at the end of the second decade of the 21st century. You finally have lots of time to take stock of your life, sitting in your favourite chair after breakfast, sipping your cup of afternoon tea, or trying to sleep at night. Many thoughts roll through your mind throughout the day, both happy and sad.

You might be struggling with an illness—a serious illness—or you may know someone who does. You might be getting a little tired, having had enough. Your self-esteem might have taken a hit, or you might even think you have become a burden to your family, who don’t visit very often.

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You might be thinking about your lack of finances. Maybe you can’t afford to go out for lunch, or even for tea and scones.

It’s a sad time. You might even have some regrets.

You might even be thinking back to those times when you used to go to church as a child or teenager. Why did you stop?

Was it a bad experience?

In the Bible, we are told that “there is a time for everything, and season for every activity under the heavens”.

Why not explore God and the Bible at this point in your life?

He is waiting for you.

This little booklet is filled with encouraging stories to help you learn more about God at this stage of your life. Do you know that God has set eternity in our hearts? He created you for a better place, an eternal home, and wants to help you find it. Will you turn the page and read on?

Then you can truly have a blessed life.

Our Daily Bread Ministries

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DAY 1

He Knows Your Name

H

ow many stars are there? Astronomers don’t know. They simply assure us that the cosmos contains more stars than can be numbered. Billions for sure—probably trillions!

Figures like that are hard for us to grasp. Even a million is mind-boggling. If you were counting a million $1 bills at the rate of 60 He heals the a minute for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, it broken-hearted . . . would take you nearly 7 weeks to complete He determines the the task. At the same rate it would take over number of the stars and calls them 133 years to count a billion dollars.

Scripture declares that God, the Maker each by name. of the sun and moon, “also made the stars” Psalm 147:3–4 (Genesis 1:16). It likewise declares that He “brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing” (Isaiah 40:26).

Psalm 147:1–9 describes not only the vastness of God’s ability, but also the intimacy of His care. The Lord not only is concerned about nations (v. 2), but He also cares for broken-hearted individuals and their very personal wounds (v. 3). He covers the heavens with clouds (v. 8), yet He is concerned for the smallest elements of His creation (v. 9). How encouraging to know that the creator of the universe and the ruler of all the nations cares so much about us!

So if you ever wonder whether God is able to carry you and all of your burdens, remember that He is the sovereign of the stars.

Surely He who guides the galaxies can deal with our situations.

If the skies are clear tonight, look heavenward and be thankful that God, who calls each star by name, knows, loves and cares for you.

VERNON GROUNDS

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The One who upholds the universe cares about you.

Today’s Bible Reading 1

Psalm 147:1–9

Praise the Lord.

How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel.

3 He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.

4 He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.

5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

6 The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.

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Sing to the Lord with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp.

He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.

9 He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.

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I sing the wisdom that ordained The sun to rule by day; The moon shines full at His command, And all the stars obey.

—Watts 9

DAY 2

Looking for Proof

A

friend and I were talking about God and life after death.

“There is one thing I wish,” he said. “I wish I had proof that there is a God.”

In Hebrews 11:6 we read, “Anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Anyone who The Bible makes no attempt to prove God’s comes to him must believe that he existence. It assumes it.

Yet three paths are open to the exists and that he earnest seeker who wants to know if rewards those who there is a God. The first is nature. Paul earnestly seek him. wrote, “God’s invisible qualities—his Hebrews 11:6 eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made” (Romans 1:20).

The second path is conscience, a God-given inner compass that points us to God’s standards of right and wrong (2:14–15).

The most convincing path is that of putting truth to the test. Those who desire to please God and are willing to obey Him will find that their faith is based in reality, for God rewards “those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Assurance always follows faith.

God is too big to be proven. It has been said that a god who could be proven would not be worth proving. But when we trust Jesus as our Saviour, His Spirit gives us the assurance that our faith is well-founded.

DENNIS DEHAAN

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The infinite God cannot be measured by finite man.

Today’s Bible Reading

Hebrews 11:1–6

1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

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By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did.

By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

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By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: ‘He could not be found, because God had taken him away.’ For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Look not to reason’s arguments If God you seek to find; Look only to His holy Word, For sin has made us blind.

—D. DeHaan 11

DAY 3

Birthday Celebration

I

used to love birthdays. I can still remember standing excitedly on our front porch waiting for my friends to show up for my fifth birthday party. I wasn’t just excited about the balloons, the gifts, and the cake. I was happy that I was no longer only 4!

I was growing up.

As I’ve gotten older, however, From my birth I birthdays have sometimes been more have relied on discouraging than exciting. Last year you . . . I will ever when I celebrated a birthday that marked praise you. me by decades more than by years, my Psalm 71:6 wife, Martie, cheered me up with the reminder that I should be grateful to be growing older. She pointed me to Psalm 71, where the psalmist talks about God’s presence throughout his life. He remembers that God “brought me forth from my mother’s womb” (v. 6), and he proclaims with thankfulness, “Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvellous deeds” (v. 17). And now, when the psalmist is older, he has the honour to “declare [God’s] power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come” (v. 18). God had blessed the psalmist with His presence through every year of his life.

Birthdays now remind me of God’s faithfulness. And they bring me closer to being in the presence of the One who has been with me all these years!

JOE STOWELL

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Count your many blessings—birthday by birthday!

Today’s Bible Reading

Psalm 71:5–9, 15–18

For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.

6 From my birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.

I will ever praise you.

7 I have become a sign to many; you are my strong refuge.

8 My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendour all day long.

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Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone . . .

My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long— though I know not how to relate them all.

16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.

17 Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvellous deeds.

18 Even when I am old and grey, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.

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Lord, remind me often that growing older means I am growing nearer to You! Keep my heart filled with gratitude for Your many blessings, and keep my mind fixed on the joy of heaven.

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DAY 4

An Enduring Happiness

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ften we hear that happiness comes from doing things our own way. That, however, is not true. That philosophy leads only to emptiness, anxiety, and heartache.

Poet W. H. Auden observed people as they attempted to find an escape in pleasures.

He wrote of such people: “Lost in a haunted Whoever of you wood, / Children afraid of the night / Who loves life and have never been happy or good.” desires to see

The psalmist David sings of the many good days . remedy for our fears and unhappiness. “I . . . Turn from evil sought the Lord and he answered me; he and do good. delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm Psalm 34:12, 14 34:4). Happiness is doing things God’s way, a fact that can be verified every day.

“Those who look to him are radiant,” writes David (v. 5). Just try it and you’ll see. That’s what he means when he says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (v. 8).

We say, “Seeing is believing.” That’s how we know things in this world. Show me proof and I’ll believe it. God puts it the other way around. Believing is seeing. “Taste and then you will see.”

Take the Lord at His word. Do the very next thing He is asking you to do and you will see. He will give you grace to do the right thing and more: He will give you Himself—the only source of goodness—and with it, enduring happiness.

DAVID ROPER

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Happiness is doing the right thing.

Today’s Bible Reading

Psalm 34:1–10

I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

2 I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

3 Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.

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I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

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Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.

10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

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Lord, sometimes we must simply pray: “I believe. Help my unbelief.”

Help us trust You by doing what You have given us to do today.

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DAY 5

How to Grow Old

“H

ow are you today, Mama?” I asked casually. My 84-year-old friend, pointing to aches and pains in her joints, whispered, “Old age is tough!” Then she added earnestly, “But God has been good to me.”

“Growing old has been the greatest surprise of my life,” says Billy Graham I will sustain you in his book Nearing Home. “I am an old and I will rescue man now, and believe me, it’s not easy.” you.

However, Graham notes, “While the Bible Isaiah 46:4 doesn’t gloss over the problems we face as we grow older, neither does it paint old age as a time to be despised or a burden to be endured with gritted teeth.” He then mentions some of the questions he has been forced to deal with as he has aged, such as, “How can we not only learn to cope with the fears and struggles and growing limitations we face but also actually grow stronger inwardly in the midst of these difficulties?”

In Isaiah 46 we have God’s assurance: “Even to your old age and grey hairs . . . I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (v. 4).

We don’t know how many years we will live on this earth or what we might face as we age. But one thing is certain: God will care for us throughout our life.

LAWRENCE DARMANI

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Don’t be afraid to grow old; God goes with you!

Today’s Bible Reading

Isaiah 46:4–9

4 Even to your old age and grey hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you.

I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

“With whom will you compare me or count me equal?

To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?

6 Some pour out gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it.

7 They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands.

From that spot it cannot move.

Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer; it cannot save them from their troubles.

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“Remember this, keep it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels.

9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.

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Lord, please teach us to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

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DAY 6

Resurrection and Life

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esus said, “I am the resurrection and the life”! It’s one thing to make such a bold assertion; it’s another to back it up—and back it up Jesus did by rising from the dead.

“If you believe that the Son of God died and rose again,” writes George MacDonald, “your whole future is full of the dawn of eternal I am the morning, coming up beyond the hills of resurrection and life, and full of such hope as the highest the life. imagination for the poet has not a glimmer John 11:25 yet.”

The Son of God died and rose again, and His resurrection is the guarantee that God will bring us up and out of the ground: A thinking, feeling, remembering, recognizable person will live forever.

Living forever means living out the thought of eternity that God has placed in our hearts; meeting again one’s believing loved ones lost through separating death; living in a world without sorrow; seeing our Lord who loves us and gave everything to unite us to Him forever.

But I see another meaning. Since we have this life and the next, we don’t have to “have it all” now. We can live in broken and ruined bodies for a time; we can endure poverty and hardship for a while; we can face loneliness, heartache, and pain for a season.

Why? There is a second birth—life in heaven forever.

DAVID ROPER

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The resurrection is the foundation of our faith.

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 15:1–11

1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

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For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

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For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

Yes, Christ the Lord is risen, Has come forth from the grave; He breaks the chains of death for you And now has power to save.

—Woodruff 19

DAY 7

The Best Season Yet

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ife is a lot like the weather—it’s seasonal. It has a way of pushing us into the next season whether we like it or not. And when pushed into the next season, we are often uncertain and even fearful of what it might hold for us.

This is especially true of later seasons of life, when we are haunted by thoughts Be very careful, such as: Will I be left all alone? Will my then, how you health hold up? Will my money last? Will live—not as unwise my mind stay fresh? As with every season of but as wise, life, we have to make a choice—to waste the making the most of season in fearful thoughts or, as Paul says, every opportunity, make “the best use of the time, because the because the days days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16 esv). are evil.

Regardless of your season, you can Ephesians 5:15–16 count on God’s faithfulness. He says, “‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid’” (Hebrews 13:5–6).

Because you have God’s presence and provision, you can make the most of your time in every season by following Jesus closely, spending time in His Word and prayer, loving and forgiving more freely than ever before, and serving others with joy and generosity.

God has blessed us with our present season—make the most of it!

JOE STOWELL

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Life matters—make the most of it!

Today’s Bible Reading

Ephesians 5:15–21

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.

Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

21

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Lord, give me the grace to accept life right where it has put me, and help me to overcome the fear that would waste my days. Give me the wisdom and desire to make every day count for You. 21

W HAT IF THE CHURCH IS MORE THAN JUST HYPOCRITES?

In ancient Greece, actors displayed changes of emotion by switching masks they held in front of their faces. What they portrayed was ultimately unrelated to who they were, for their real self was hidden behind a mask. The Greek word for actor was hupokrites, from which we get the English hypocrite.

The issue of masked men (and women) lies behind one of the most common reasons for rejecting Christ and the church.

We’ve all heard the criticism, “Church people are hypocrites.

They pretend that they’re wonderful, kind, and loving people, 22

but they really aren’t.” Those who claim to be followers of Christ are accused of saying one thing and living another.

Their religious declarations are thought by many to be merely a false face, a mask to hide behind so others don’t see them as they really are: bigoted, narrow, mean, and self-centred.

Are the charges true? Far too often the answer is yes. The people of Christ all fall short of their ideals. Their walk doesn’t consistently match their talk. And this does have a profoundly damaging impact on those who are watching and wondering if Jesus has anything genuinely good to offer.

It’s important, therefore, to look honestly at some misconceptions about the church—and try to set the record straight.

What the Church Is Not No one in the church is perfect. The apostle Paul, one of the most influential leaders of the early church, wrote: Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

(Philippians 3:12)

Paul’s words remind us that followers of Christ are not a finished product; they are still works in progress. No one achieves perfection in this life. At best, people of the church seek to keep growing spiritually while, as Paul wrote, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you 23

will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

Not everyone in the church is a believer. People have all sorts of motives for attaching themselves to the church without personally accepting the truth about Jesus Christ for themselves. Some do so for family or business reasons. Some use the church as a cover for their sin, with no intention of embracing the forgiveness and love of Christ. This was true even among Christ’s disciples: Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” (John 6:70)

Even the best examples of the church still fall far short of the goodness demonstrated by Jesus. In his letter to the church at Rome, the apostle Paul honestly admitted: For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

(Romans 7:19)

The implication is clear. On the inside at least, followers of Christ still battle with selfish desires, temptation, and their own failure to be what they want to be.

What the Church Is A common bumper sticker says, “Christians aren’t perfect—just forgiven.” The true church is made up of people who have come to faith in Jesus Christ—those who are “believers”. Those who 24

believe in Christ are on a journey of personal growth that will last a lifetime.

No living Christian has arrived at perfection. All are “on the road”, in varying states of spiritual health, and with more or less of a desire to experience Christ at work in their lives.

Believers are people who have found forgiveness and hope in a sinful world. At their best, the people of the church are not super-spiritual. They certainly are not super-deserving.

They are simply rescued people. Ideally, they are to adopt the attitude of the apostle Paul, who wrote: Giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

(Colossians 1:12–14)

At one time, the followers of Christ felt guilt; now they understand the joy of being forgiven. Once they felt lost; now they know they’ve been found. Once they feared death; now they know peace. Why? Not because of their efforts, but because they have been rescued by Jesus Christ.

What the Church Offers Us Those who are wondering whether there is anything for them in the teachings and promises of Christ may find 25

bad experiences with church people a difficult obstacle to overcome. They may also feel that their sins are too great to be forgiven. But none of us can afford to let the personal failures of others or ourselves ruin our eternal future.

Jesus who founded the church does not operate based on what others have or haven’t done, but on His own actions. The apostle Paul explained what Jesus did for us in these words: God made [Christ] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

He who founded the church does not make offers based on what we have or haven’t done for ourselves, but on what He Himself has done for us. The Bible says to those who have received Christ: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

(Ephesians 2:8–9)

He who founded the church doesn’t just promise hope beyond the grave, but offers us new life now: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!

(2 Corinthians 5:17)

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And trusting in Him opens the door to an eternal life where no one will be disappointed: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Excerpted and adapted from What If It’s True by Bill Crowder.

Copyright Š 2007 Our Daily Bread Ministries 27

DAY 8

You Have Value

A

fter my mother-in-law died, my wife and I discovered a cache of US Indian Head pennies in a dresser drawer in her apartment. She wasn’t a coin collector, as such, but she lived in the era when these pennies were in circulation and she had accumulated a few.

Some of these coins are in excellent You were bought at condition; others are not. They are so a price. worn and tarnished you can hardly see the 1 Corinthians 6:20 imprint. All bear the stamp “One Cent” on the opposite side. Although a penny these days has little value and many consider them useless, this one-cent coin would have bought a newspaper in its day. And collectors still find value in them, even those that have been battered and abused.

Perhaps you feel tarnished, worn, old, or out of circulation.

Even so, God finds value in you. The Creator of the universe wants you—not for your mind, your body, your clothes, your achievements, your intellect, or your personality, but because you are you! He would go any distance and pay any price to possess you (1 Corinthians 6:20).

In fact He did. He came down to earth from heaven and purchased you with His own blood (Romans 5:6, 8–9). That’s how much He wants you. You are valuable in His eyes, and He loves you.

DAVID ROPER

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Christ’s death is the measure of God’s love for you.

Today’s Bible Reading

Romans 5:6–11

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

As I think about Your love for me, Father, I wonder with amazement how You could love someone like me— and I praise You. 29

DAY 9

Work That Won’t Burn

M

y father-in-law spent 30 years helping people in the public health field. When he went to heaven at the age of 76, he left a closet full of files and a wall full of awards.

When it came time for us to clean out his “work” closet, the family pictures and a few mementos were kept, and all the rest Their work will be had to go. I got the job of disposing of it. shown for what it I hauled it up past the barn into an open is . . . and the fire field, doused it with diesel fuel, and set it on will test the quality fire—old project files, slide presentations, of each person’s plaques of appreciation, correspondence, work. everything—and I watched it burn.

1 Corinthians 3:13

It was a sobering experience as I thought that someday when I stand before God, all my “work” will also be thrown into the fire. Only what survives the fire has eternal value.

Watching letters and proposals turn to ashes gave me a new understanding of 1 Corinthians 3:13. Apostle Paul said, “Their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.”

Today the work. Tomorrow the fire.

That afternoon in the pasture made me more careful, more thoughtful, about my fleeting opportunities to do work that won’t burn.

DAVID MCCASLAND

30

Live today as if you will stand before God tomorrow.

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 3:9–15

9 For we are fellow workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

—C. T. Studd 31

DAY 10

Unopened Tomorrows

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e often wish we could see what lies around the corner in life. Then we could prepare for it, control it, or avoid it.

Recently my 10-year-old granddaughter Emily and I were boiling eggs for breakfast. As we stared into the boiling water and wondered For we live by how long it would take to get the eggs just faith, not by sight. right, Emily said, “Pity we can’t open them 2 Corinthians 5:7 up to see how they’re doing.” I agreed. But that would have spoiled them, so we had to rely on guesswork, with no guarantee of results.

We began talking about other things we would like to see but can’t—like tomorrow. Too bad we can’t crack tomorrow open, we said, to see if it’s the way we would like it. But meddling with tomorrow before it comes, like opening a partly cooked egg, would spoil both today and tomorrow.

A wise person has said, “Though we can’t see around corners, God can.” Isn’t that much better and more reassuring?

Because Jesus has promised to care for us every day—and that includes tomorrow—we can live by faith one day at a time (Matthew 6:33–34).

Emily and I decided to leave tomorrow safely in God’s hands.

Have you?

JOANIE YODER

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You’re only cooking up trouble when you stew about tomorrow.

Today’s Bible Reading

Matthew 6:25–34

25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

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And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Though I know not what awaits me, What the future has in store, Yet I know the Lord is faithful, For I’ve proved Him oft before.

—Anon.

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DAY 11

A Laughing Faith

I

remember when Miska told me she was pregnant with our first son, Wyatt. I must have sat mute, staring into space for several moments because Miska asked if I was okay. In theory, I had wanted to be a dad someday, but it always seemed like a distant possibility. But now I was going to be a dad, and I was dumbstruck.

Abraham . . .

Abraham was in a very different laughed and said situation. For decades he’d wanted to father to himself, “Will a son with his wife, Sarah. But now they a son be born to were both way too old. It seemed that there a man a hundred would be no children for them. years old? Will

God appeared to Abraham, however, Sarah bear a child and told him the most ludicrous, at the age of unexpected news: “I will bless [Sarah] and ninety?” will surely give you a son by her. I will Genesis 17:17 bless her so that she will be the mother of nations” (Genesis 17:16). Abraham “fell face down; he laughed” (v. 17). God must be mistaken, he thought.

Of course, before long, Abraham and Sarah did indeed have a son—Isaac. God had revived their aged bodies and made them fertile again. He kept His promise.

Do any of God’s promises—such as “eternal life” (John 4:14) or a “life . . . to the full” (10:10)—seem so wonderful that you can’t help but laugh? Do any of God’s good and hopeful words seem impossible? Has it been difficult for you to believe in His kind intentions? If God has spoken, then hold on because His promises are true.

WINN COLLIER

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All of God’s promises are backed by His wisdom, love, and power.

Today’s Bible Reading

Genesis 17:15–19

15 God also said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.’

17

Abraham fell face down; he laughed and said to himself, ‘Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?’ 18 And Abraham said to God, ‘If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!’

19

Then God said, ‘Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.’

Standing on the promises that cannot fail, When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, By the living Word of God I shall prevail, Standing on the promises of God. —Carter 35

DAY 12

A Mystery Solved

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hat happens to us when we die? This question has intrigued people down through the ages.

Some researchers are cautiously suggesting that they may be close to an answer. They are checking into reports from individuals who claim to have undergone near-death experiences If someone dies, that took them beyond time and space. will they live Some analysts think that further research again?

Job 14:14 will eventually solve the mystery of death.

Must we anxiously await their verdict?

Not at all! God has already revealed what happens after death.

If we have trusted God’s Son Jesus Christ as our Saviour, we know we will be “home with the Lord” when we die (2 Corinthians 5:8). Apostle Paul said that because Christ died for our sins and rose from the grave, “Death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54). But those who reject Christ will have to face God’s fierce judgement and eternity in hell (Revelation 20:11–15).

There are few subjects that fill hearts with fear and anxiety more than the subject of death. Much of that anxiety is due to uncertainty, yet Paul makes it clear in this passage that such feelings of fear are unnecessary. We can have absolute confidence because Jesus Christ has won the victory over death by His resurrection—and offers the results of that victory to us if we will trust Him by faith.

Anyone looking for clues about what happens to us when we die would be wise to research the Bible. It gives us God’s answer to the most pressing question of the ages. Christ’s empty tomb assures us that it is a mystery already solved.

VERNON GROUNDS 36

Because Christ lives, death is not tragedy but triumph.

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 15:51–58

51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

“Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?”

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The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

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58

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.

He lives, and grants me daily breath; He lives, and I shall conquer death; He lives, my future to prepare; He lives to bring me safely there.

—Medley 37

DAY 13

Your Last Day

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hat if you were told this morning that today will be your last day on earth? How would you spend it? Whom would you insist on seeing? Would your behaviour differ radically from what it

usually is?

Someone wisely gave this advice, Let us not be like “You should treat every day as if it’s your others, who are last one, because one of these days you’re asleep, but let going to be right.” us be awake and

There’s no getting around it. Whether sober. our earthly life ends by accident, illness, or 1 Thessalonians 5:6 the ravages of age, one of these days will be our last. That’s why we should guard carefully the things we do and the words we say.

We ought to be tying up the loose ends of long-neglected matters by expressing our love and gratitude to others, by seeking reconciliation with an alienated friend, or by sharing the gospel with a neighbour.

Perhaps you’ve even been putting off accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour until some more convenient day. But what if that day never comes? Since your last day on earth can be so unexpected, heed Paul’s inspired words: “Now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Are you living each day as if it were your last?

VERNON GROUNDS

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What would you change if this day were your last?

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Thessalonians 5:1–11

1 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety”, destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

4

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

What are the five most important things you would do if this were your last day on earth?

Would you seek God? 39

DAY 14

Life’s Final Deadline

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e’re all confronted with deadlines! Bills must be paid, licenses renewed, tax returns filed—the list goes on and on.

One deadline we will all face is of supreme importance. The Bible says, “Just as people are destined to die once, and Prepare to meet after that to face judgment” (Hebrews your God. 9:27).

Amos 4:12

Except for believers who are living when Jesus returns (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17), everyone will die. And all people from the beginning of history will stand before God in judgement.

How foolish to neglect the preparations necessary for this inevitable accounting!

In Luke 12, Jesus told a parable of a rich man who planned to build bigger barns to store all his earthly goods so that he could live out his days in pleasure and ease. But God unexpectedly announced, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you” (v. 20). His ultimate deadline had arrived.

Are you ready to meet God? If you’ve never received Christ as your personal Saviour, do so without delay! Believe that He shed His blood on the cross to forgive your sins, and that He conquered death by rising from the grave. Ask Him to save you. Then you can face life’s final deadline with confidence.

RICHARD DEHAAN

40

Receive Christ as your personal Saviour today!

Today’s Bible Reading

Luke 12:16–21

16 And he told them this parable: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.”

18 ‘Then he said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’”

20

‘But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”

21

‘This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich towards God.’

Life is uncertain, Death is sure; Sin the cause, Christ the cure.

—Anon.

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DAY 15

To Be Continued

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o you like continued stories? Let’s say you’re reading a magazine article or watching a television programme for half an hour, and you come to the part where the hero plunges into the water to rescue his drowning sweetheart. Then the screen turns black with the words: Here we do not “To be continued.” How disappointing! have an enduring

I have quite a different response city, but we are to the inscription on the tombstone of looking for the city a follower of Christ. It reads: “To Be that is to come.

Continued Above.” How heartening!

Hebrews 13:14

Yes, this life is but the first chapter of the book of life. Whether that chapter is long or short, it is not the end, but will be continued. For the believer, it will be continued in heaven with our Lord.

There is no break between the chapters; you don’t have to wait till next month’s instalment or tune in next week to see the concluding episode. Chapter two follows chapter one without interruption. It is continued immediately when we are “away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).

What will be the next chapter for you? It will be written sooner or later, either in heaven or in hell. Remember, when your time comes to die, that is not the end. Your story is “to be continued”—but where?

M. R. DEHAAN

42

Death is the last chapter of time, but the first chapter of eternity.

Today’s Bible Reading

Hebrews 11:8–16

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

13

All these people were still living by faith when they died.

They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Life’s fleeting days will soon be o’er When death ends all that’s gone before; Yet life in Christ continues still, For all who lived to do His will.

—D. DeHaan 43

HOPEFUL DAYS ARE AHEAD!

One of the hardest things to accept about growing old is the degeneration of physical health. No matter how tough or healthy we are, we’re likely to find our eyesight and hearing failing, and our strength and stamina not quite what they used to be. The threat of illness is a source of concern, too. There’s chronic ailments such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol to worry about, or even worse—cancer, heart attack, or stroke. And with close friends suffering or dying from these diseases, it’s hard not to wonder: Is growing old all about suffering?

44

Perhaps what hurts as much as physical degeneration is the loss of independence. Weakness and illness could mean having to rely on others even for the smallest daily tasks, like going to the bathroom, putting on clothes, or having a meal. This can be embarrassing or even humiliating, because it is a reminder that we are no longer the strong, capable, independent men or women we used to be. In such times, it’s hard not to ask: Am I becoming useless?

Do you ever ask such questions? And have you ever wondered if there was someone who could provide an answer?

Someone who would truly understand how you feel, who could help you through your suffering, reassure you in times of doubt, and give you a reason to keep living?

Someone Who Can Help Perhaps you could consider this someone—the creator God. This God, who is called Jesus, created each and every one of us. He made us in His likeness, so He understands exactly how we think and feel. He designed and made every part of us, so He knows what is happening to us: physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. He knows our discomfort and pain, our worry and fear, and our loneliness and emptiness.

Even more importantly, Jesus loves every one of us. No matter how old we are, each and every one of us is precious to Him. If we trust in Him and follow Him as our God, this is what He offers: 45

1. A Reassuring Presence No child can avoid the typical challenges of growing up, like going to school and making new friends, or the inevitable heartaches of life: the physical, mental, and emotional changes, the painful falls and devastating failures, and the crushing disappointments. But his parents can help him through the journey. They can walk alongside, comforting and reassuring him with the knowledge that he can draw upon their help and advice whenever he needs it. He can face any challenge with confidence, knowing that they will always be there for him.

Imagine enjoying God’s presence in the same way! That is exactly what He promises—to be with you every step of the way as you journey through old age. He offers you His guidance, wisdom, and understanding to deal with your problems, as well as His comfort and companionship. You will be able to turn to Him anytime, and He will always be there—like a loving parent—to listen, to encourage, to comfort, and to help.

In the Bible, God promises us: Even to your old age and grey hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you.

I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

(Isaiah 46:4)

2. Identity and Value Have you seen a parent doting on a child? Every child is 46

dear to his parent simply because he is the latter’s offspring.

That’s what you’re like to God—you are absolutely precious to Him simply because He created you. He doesn’t look at us the way the world does; He sees beyond our age, abilities, and achievements, and loves us for who we are.

This is because when we believe in Him, He adopts us as His own children. Our new identity is not based on what we do, what we have achieved, or how good or useful we are. Rather, it is completely based on God’s grace and love. He wants to give us the right to be His children. And like a parent who treasures every child, God values each and every one of us. This privilege of being God’s children is something that we will never lose.

The Bible says: For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.

(Ephesians 1:4–5)

3. A Meaningful Existence You’ve probably seen how the birth of a grandchild provides a huge dose of joy and meaning to an elderly person, giving them a new lease on life. It’s the same way when you believe in and follow God—your new relationship with Him will bring great purpose and passion to your life, as you grow in your interaction with Jesus. Life will take on a new meaning!

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You may also find new opportunities to employ your wisdom and experience as you join a community of others who also follow Jesus. The Bible contains many examples of how God greatly values older people. They enjoy an honoured status in society, and younger people are told to respect them and to treasure their advice and wisdom. Some were even chosen by God to carry out important tasks in their later years—at the age of 80 or more. Jesus has a special place in His heart for older people.

The Bible tells of a man who felt so blessed by God that he couldn’t stop telling others about Him. Even though he was old, he saw a purpose in life, and prayed to God, asking: Even when I am old and grey, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.

(Psalm 71:18)

If we follow God, we will become like this man, able to find a new goal and purpose in life while knowing that God would never abandon him.

4. The Hope of Eternal Life Have you wondered—perhaps even worried—about what happens after death? Is death an absolute end? Is there an after-life?

These may seem like impossible questions, but Jesus has 48

the answers! He offers something amazing: the hope of eternal life. This may be hard to understand right now, but if we trust in the creator God, the ultimate giver of life, it is exactly what He promises. After we pass on from this world, He will take us to be with Him forever, freed from all human frailties.

Jesus says, “Whoever hears my word and believes [God] who sent me has eternal life” (John 5:24).

With such a hope, life—and the challenges of growing old—will start to look very different. Even though you will still have to deal with physical and mental degeneration, you will have something wonderful to look forward to—like a really good prize at the end of a long, hard race. Your current journey may be tough going, but you can fix your eyes on a new, perfect life ahead.

Do Consider Jesus!

Growing old can be challenging. We will continue to struggle with our physical and mental limitations, as well as our feelings of insecurity, sadness, abandonment, and loneliness.

But you can find new meaning and hope in Jesus. If you believe and trust in Him, you will find that you no longer need to walk this challenging journey alone—Jesus will be with you every step of the way; not just in this life, but in the life to come.

Would you like to invite Jesus to journey through this life—and the life beyond—with you? The actual words we say to God may vary, what is important is that we believe Him enough to be able to say something similar to the following: 49

God, I know I have sinned against You. I believe that Jesus is Your Son, that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins, and that He rose from the dead to prove it. Now I accept Your offer of full forgiveness and eternal life. I accept Jesus as Your gift of salvation.

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If this is the honest expression of your heart, you have entered into a personal relationship with God.

Excerpted and adapted from Growing Old: Hopeful Days Are Ahead.

Copyright Š 2018 Our Daily Bread Ministries 50

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