Isaiah 38:19. “The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.”
THE LIVING. 15 more years the king was given by God to lead His people right. All around was fear and departure, many were still in moral night. But God gave His kingly servant more time to serve in that day; He wanted to stem the tide of rejection and from national sin to turn away. The king had a heart for his people, but it is not easy to turn sinning around. The natural bent is for things to get worse, and the righteous are scarcely found. But God in patience granted his request, he got another 15 years. During that time things didn't get better; the king met with many fears.
15 years from now, I will be eighty-eight. I am not sure if I'll live that long or the Lord, His coming will wait. My prayer is that I will keep close to the Lord until life's journey is done. At this present time my health is good, and by grace, God has kept me strong. But more than that, I want to be able to praise the Lord and serve Him acceptably. It would be wonderful if for the rest of my life, God could in some way use me
To bring a message of life and hope to the living and to my children's children. Their living would be a time of blessing to them and glory for the God of heaven.
When I was 15, I was just getting started in my life of living with the Lord. All the years before, though I enjoyed them all, were spent mainly conscious of the world. In the years that followed, especially the next 15, my life took a whole new direction. Who would have thought God would allow me to give others the message of salvation. I met my wife; a child was born; God moved me to a different place. Looking back in this time of living, it is not hard God's plan to trace. He gave me children who came into God's family; living had a significant reason. Bearing the yoke in youth was a privilege, those 15 years were a special season.
For the next 15 years as maturity grew, God allowed me to learn more of Him. My understanding grew; He trusted me more, and “the big picture” became less dim. God stretched my vision, the process of living expanded to include more people in my life. For His own reasons God increased my fields and led me farther into His light. Now spiritual children are living all across the land; they too, have joined the living - Many of them in the place they were called, time and effort for God's kingdom are giving. Those years seemed productive God entrusted me with a work far beyond my skill. Many of those events at the time seemed small, but now I can trace God's will.
So, as the seasons of life are passing by and now, I am living in late fall - I can rejoice in the living of year after year and see God's hand in it all. There is the living of people: breathing God's air, and of person-hood that is good. There is the living of lifestyle: the way we conduct ourselves – the things for which we have stood. There is the living of joy: of fellowship, of love – often best expressed in families. There is the living of time passing: of day after day enjoying God's fellowship with me. For all the 15's past and the one yet to come, I will praise Him for His matchless grace. My life has been all a man could ever want; and the new part starts when I see His face.
“At the moment Father, I am almost speechless with joy. Please guide me with Thy eye today. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”