Words of Wisdom From An Old Friend

As we grow older and wiser, we tend to look back at our youth and notice the foolish things we’ve done. A common failing for so many, including myself, is the ignorance and lack of appreciation we sometimes have toward the older generations. About two years ago, I talked with an elder of the church in Collinsville, Illinois and he gave me a scripture to read. He told me, “If you read this passage, you’ll never forget it.” I thanked him, but at the time I didn’t think much of it. I later read the passage, thought it profound as the scriptures are, and then proceeded to forget about the passage.

These are the verses he gave to me:

"Though the fig tree should not blossom,

nor fruit be on the vines,

the produce of the olive fail

and the fields yield no food,

the flock be cut off from the fold

and there be no herd in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;

I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

19 God, the Lord, is my strength;

he makes my feet like the deer's;

he makes me tread on my high places.” - Habakkuk 3:17-19

Knowing the trials that the Israelites would face under Babylonian captivity, Habakkuk writes this exhortation. In a millennial modern day paraphrase he says, “Even if I lose all my money and all my possessions (so that I literally have nothing) I will still praise God and will be joyful because He saved my soul.” This is an incredibly important passage for us! Regardless of the trials we face, we shouldn’t let it get to us. Why? Because God has saved us from our sins, He's taken the punishment we deserved, and He promises us an eternal home with Him. Paul Said in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

People like that elder, being the older gentleman that he is, are not typically the kind of sources younger folks consider being inspiring or wise. Instead, the younger generations often look at people like this as out of touch and unable to contribute to their technologically obsessed lives. Sometimes it gets to the point that they are seen as beneath or inferior to the newest generation. But it is those who have studied so much more than we have that can provide real incite about God’s word. Listening to a person with a long life of studying the word is the best resource in gaining godly wisdom outside spending many years of study on our own. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”(Prov 1:7). What knowledge can be gained from a man or women who has feared the Lord for many years?

Please, take this passage that was shared with me and remember it when times are tough and you’re in distress. Even when you feel you are on the edge of having nothing, the Lord will provide and this passage will always be there. Remember too to respect those who are older than you, especially when they have studied the word of God longer than you have. It's just one of those ways we work together and another reason why the church is made of many kinds of people.

God bless you today,

Zack