Groan....shall we look or NOT look?? Never mind! Let's look at what God thinks of the "wrinkled righteous" in His Word...and remember, there were no anti-aging wrinkle creams available at the Mall or their favorite Internet cosmetics store then! The wrinkles were resplendent for all to see!
And so what? For you see, wrinkles might matter to us; they DON'T matter to God!
Ask Abraham and Sarah, who in their wrinkled-up years gave birth to a beautiful son! Now you may not be a candidate for the elderly birth-of-the-year record - neither am I!! But--wait a minute--you're not too old to give birth to a brand new idea--or ministry--or mission. God uses people at whatever age to serve in His Kingdom--and He can use YOU and YOUR bright, new ideas, wrinkles and all!
Ask Moses...the man who at 80 years old, became a leader of God's people. Now you might not want to be in charge of a million cranky people--there were days HE didn't like it either! But good old Moses, if he were able to give you some advice, would encourage you to listen to God, to not be afraid to STILL be a leader--to offer your sound wisdom, experience, leadership abilities--wherever they are needed. God used Moses to serve in His Kingdom--and He can use YOU, wrinkles and all!
But THEY are "guys" - and "guys" don't care about wrinkles...women DO! Really? Ask ANNA, the elderly prophetess, who waited in the Temple to bless the promised Messiah. Wrinkles didn't matter that day as she had the wonderful privilege of holding in her arms the Son of God.
And wrinkles won't matter to you either--when you're happily doing the Will of God. Oh, sure, use the wrinkle-creams as much as you can...but don't let the aging process wear you down. Know that we serve an ageless God...and if He can use Abraham, Sarah, Moses, and Anna, He can use YOU--and ME--righteous wrinkles and all!
Now believe it--DON'T look in the magnifying mirror today--but enjoy the blessings and love of the Lord. Share it with another--be a proud, grateful member of the "wrinkled righteous" - and let's everyone over 40 meet me at the CHOCOLATE SHOP to celebrate the years God has given us--and still has ahead of us! I want chocolate-chip, how about you!
P.S. Should you be in the under-40 crowd, don't despair--your day is coming! You might want to save this devotional, along with your magnifying mirror--might be able to use it that day when YOUR first wrinkle appears!!
"Thou wilt prolong the king's life, and his years as many generations. He shall abide before God forever; oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him. So will I sing praise unto thy name forever, that I may daily perform my vows (Psalm 61:6-8)."
"Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not, until I have shown thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to everyone that is to come (Psalm 71:18)."
"Lord, I look in the mirror--and they are there--the wrinkles I dread, I try to ignore, I try to hide. Help me to accept the aging process and know I am not on my way to uselessness or down-sizing in YOUR Kingdom...You use us all, at whatever age--years of experience are meant to bless, not curse us. Help us to see ourselves from Your perspective and use us all--from eight to eighty--and beyond--in Your Kingdom where age is never a qualification! Thank You for the years You have given me--and are still to give me; may I use them for YOU, In Jesus' Name, Amen."
--Copyright 2008 by Peggie Bohanon, Springfield, MO.
...Love God's Word? Love Chocolate? Come On In!...
