“Now that I am OLD and GRAY, do not abandon me, O GOD. LET ME PROCLAIM YOUR POWER to this NEW GENERATION, YOUR MIGHTY MIRACLES to all who come after me. YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, O God, is very high, you who have done great things; O GOD, WHO IS LIKE YOU…You shall increase my greatness, And comfort me on every side. I will praise You—And Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One.” (Psalms 71:18-22)
As you may know I just celebrated my 80th birthday, with PTSD, Diabetes, a brain tumor, severe stroke, heart attack, neuropathy, kidney disease, melanoma cancer and just getting over shingles, all caused by Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam. I honestly am VERY BLESSED AND SURPRISED to have celebrated my 80th that is because THE LORD IS NOT FINISHED WITH ME!!! I told my family I don’t want to be laying up somewhere waiting to go on, I want to leave here WHILE TYPING OUT MY DEVOTION. “I thank my God…always IN EVERY PRAYER OF MINE…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in me WILL COMPLETE IT…” (Philippians 1:3-6) I have no complaints, the Lord has taught me HOW TO LISTEN TO HIM so I can be effective and I’M SO VERY GRATEFUL for that.
“…since we have been JUSTIFIED THROUGH FAITH, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have GAINED ACCESS BY FAITH INTO THIS GRACE in which we now stand. And WE BOAST IN THE HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD.” (Romans 5:1-2) We have this wonderful grace and this hope, “And hope does not put us to shame, because GOD’S LOVE HAS BEEN POURED OUT INTO OUR HEARTS through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US. Since we have now been JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, how much more shall we be SAVED FROM GOD’S WRATH through Him!” (Romans 5:5-9)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham