El fundamento de la sabiduría [Eclesiastés 7:15–18] Durante la reunión de oración de esta mañana, medité sobre los temas de una familia bendecida, una iglesia bendecida y una nación bendecida, centrándome en 2 Crónicas 9:7: «¡Bienaventurados tus hombres! ¡Bienaventurados estos siervos tuyos, que están continuamente delante de ti y oyen tu sabiduría!». Al reflexionar sobre este versículo, contemplé la tremenda bendición que supone encontrar a un líder sabio. Esto se debe a que la nación de Israel fue bendecida precisamente porque su rey, Salomón, era sabio. Al defender la justicia y la rectitud, el sabio rey Salomón fortaleció a la nación (versículo 8); así, tal como observó la reina de Sabá, el pueblo de Israel era, en efecto, un pueblo bendecido. Para que nuestras familias sean bendecidas, el cabeza de familia —el esposo o el padre— debe ser sabio. Para que nuestras empresas sean bendecidas, el presidente debe se...
A beautiful old man
“Do not
cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails”
(Psalms 71:9).
Personally, I don't like young people like me to call the old people in
Korean “노인네”(old
man). Nevertheless, after meditating on
Psalms 71:9 and titled “Beautiful old man”, I am still not sure in my short
Korean language whether it is okay to call grandparents and grandparents “노인네”(old man). My intention is to
meditate on the Word by simply translating the word “in the time of old age” in
the Bible. I hope that the word “old
man” will not hurt the hearts of the elderly people. I would like to think about the beauty of the
old man, that is who is the beautiful old man in God's eyes, focusing on Psalms
71:9. Meanwhile, I also want to become
beautiful old man when I become old.
First, the beautiful old man puts his
confidence in the Lord who is his hope.
Look at Psalms 71:5 – “For You are
my hope; O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth.” The psalmist grew up receiving instruction
from the Lord from his youth (v. 17). Therefore,
he was able to live in putting confidence in the Lord from his youth. And he relied on the Lord more and more as
the years passed. The Lord was a strong
refuge for him (v. 7). When the
psalmist's enemies, who waited to kill the psalmist, conspired together (v. 10)
and said, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will
rescue him” (v. 11), the psalmist cried out to God, “Be not far from me, O God;
come quickly, O my God, to help me” (v. 12).
Those who put confidence in the Lord who is their hope pray to God.
What a beautiful image of the
psalmist? We must imitate the life of
the psalmist who always lived in the hope of the Lord from his youth to old age until his hair is gray. Like the psalmist, when we face many and
bitter troubles (v. 20), we must rely on the more and more in God and put our
confidence in Him. Then God will deliver
us from that trouble. And the Lord will
restore our lives again and will again bring us up from the depths of the earth
(v. 20). As the years pass by, an old
man who grows older while putting confidence in the Lord is beautiful old man
in God's sight.
Second,
the beautiful old man declares the Lord’s power to the next generation.
Look at Psalms 71:18 – “Even when I
am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the
next generation, your might to all who are to come.” The psalmist wanted to convey the strength
and power of the Lord to all people in his future generations. He said, “I will come and proclaim your
mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone”
(v. 16). His tongue told of His
righteous acts all day long (v. 24). The
reason was because the unmeasurable righteousness and salvation of the Lord (v.
15), that He gave to the psalmist who relied on the Lord and put confidence in
Him from his youth to old age until his hair became gray. The psalmist couldn’t endure the Lord's unmeasurable
grace of salvation without proclaiming to all future generations. Therefore, he prayed to God that he would not
forsake him even when he was old and gray until he had done that.
The old man who passes on the heritage of faith to his children and
descendants is beautiful. The old man is
wise, declaring to his children and descendants the grace of God he received
while relying on and putting confidence in the Lord who is his hope from youth
to old and gray. The old man who
testifies of the great things God has done in his life, rather than talking
about what he has done in his life for Him, is entitled to confess that “… by the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Cor.
15:10).
Third, the beautiful old man
praises the Lord.
Look at Psalms 71:14 – “But as for me, I will hope continually, And will
praise You yet more and more.” The
psalmist, who relied on the Lord as the years passed, not only shared God's
wonderful works in his life, but also praised the Lord. He praised the Lord more and more as the
years passed by (v. 14) and always praised Him (v. 6). The psalmist's mouth filled with His praise
and with His glory all day long (v. 8).
He praised the Lord with a harp even His truth (v. 22). He praised the holy Lord of Israel with harp
(v. 22). When he praised the Lord, his
lips shouted for joy, and his redeemed soul rejoiced (v. 23).
We always have hope and praise
the Lord: “My life flows rich in love and grace/ By Christ in mercy offer'd,/
Who anguish bore, and took my place/ When on the cross He suffer'd/ His
precious blood He Shed to free/ From sin and all its stinging/ Death destin'd
sinners such as we!/ How can I keep form singing? (Hymn “My Life Flows Rich in
Love and Grace”, verse 1). Our souls
also praise the greatness of the Lord (Hymn “How Great Thou Art”, chorus). I hope and pray that when we die, we are able
to go to the Lord as we sing praises to Him.
Thinking about my church
old men and women in Christ who are beautiful in His sight,
James Kim
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