~Age to Age He is Still the Same~

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. While getting older scares me, I still see such beauty in age. The other weekend at church I just looked around at all the hands in the air praising God and I thought about what a message you could get just out of hands. My middle boy was raising his hand(he is almost 2) and then there were hands around me raised. Some my age, some a little older and then the elders of the church. It was beautiful.

You have the babies hands so soft and smooth. Hands that haven't seen the reality of life, but they are doing what they see. Those hands around my age or a little older that may have some scars or a few calluses from a little work and some are still soft and smooth, but have lost that innocence of a child because of life. We learn that at times life is difficult and not at all the perfect place that we would all love. Then you have the hands with those beautiful wrinkles, some a little twisted and yet they are lifted up to their Heavenly Father. Their hands alone seem to tell some of the stories of their lives. Those hands that have seen trials that some of us can't begin to imagine and they made it through. Those hands that have come to depend solely on their Savior because they have seen not only with their eyes, but with their soul that we can't make it without Jesus.

I have been so blessed to see in my own family the love of God from generation to generation. God's faithfulness on those who love Him and serve Him with all they know. When I was young I had 3 Great Grandmother's alive and I still have one living. One thing I don't remember is hearing God left me or He didn't see me through. I remember seeing God's faithfulness and their dependence on Jesus. I have seen in my own family and others how God works all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to His purpose. I don't remember one time hearing my Granddaddy pray with out saying at some point in his prayer 'Help us to love you, serve you, walk uprightly before you. Having no other gods...' I can't remember a time that my Grandparents or parents haven't been in church and lived what they so strongly believe. Jesus comes first, above all else. From generation to generation HE is still the same. Age to age HE IS STILL THE SAME. His mercies endure forever. He is FAITHFUL. He is no respecter of persons. What He has done for me, He will do for you.

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Proverbs 20:29

The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.

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Deuteronomy 32:7

Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.

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Proverbs 6:20-22

My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

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Proverbs 14:27

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

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Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

~Who are you listening to?~

1 Kings 12:1-24
And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)
That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,
Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.
And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.
And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?
And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.
But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:
And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?
And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.
And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;
And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,
Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.

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I read 1 Kings chapter 12 the other morning and the portion above stood out to me. The congregation of Israel came to Rehoboam looking for an answer and Rehoboam was torn about what he should do so he took counsel from 2 groups, the elders and the youngsters. Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the elders, the same ones that were there when his father, Solomon, was king. He listened to the ones that he had grown up with or the ones that were still "wet behind the ears." Rehoboam's lack of listening caused him to flee from where he once ruled, the place where he once felt safe.

We all face circumstances in our lives and we just aren't sure what we should do. So, we look for a person or people to confide in or seek counsel from ... someone to lead us in the right direction. I think this chapter shows us how important it is to get instructions from the right source. If our instruction isn't coming from God what good does it do? We will end up 'fleeing' our place of safety. Don't leave any room in your life for the devil to work. We may not always get the answer we want to hear, but God always takes care of his people and if God is for us, who can be against us!