O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim Your might to another generation,
your power to all those to come. Psalm 71: 17-18
As I scan through the long list of my contacts for these weekly journals, I see a wide span of ages from college ages to some in their nineties. I never expected to live as long as I have, and I am grateful for the mental, physical, and emotional strength God has given me. As well, He has been teaching me as long as I can recall just how great and mighty He is as the Creator, Savior, and sustainer of my life: teaching me through my godly parents and a home environment where I learned to trust God early, learned to live in a manner where I hoped to please God; teaching me as we worshipped under solid Bible instruction in our local congregation; teaching me through many of life’s ups and downs. I had all the tools at my fingertips to learn about God’s might and power, and His love for me in His sacrificial death and resurrection. I had the knowledge. What did I do with the information? As I heard, I squirreled what I learned away in my head. If you would have asked me questions on the Bible, I could have rattled off the right answer almost without a second thought. On the other hand, my faith in Christ as my Savior was both superficial and burdened by a legalistic religion. I have no doubt, however, had God taken my life during those years, I would join Him for eternity. Yes, I must live life in a way to demonstrate Christ in me, the hope of glory.
To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1: 27
You may not have had a Christian upbringing, or you may have come to faith in later years. Your experience may have been entirely different from mine. If you have trusted Him as Lord and Savior, you, indeed, have the hope of glory and understand the wonder of God’s mercy and grace.
I didn’t quite get the true picture. Jesus took my sins upon Himself and there is nothing—nada—zilch I can do to make myself a Christian. You and I are nothing without Christ. Our best day we are so poor in spirit that we can never do enough to please God. Only when we recognize how helpless we are and truly grieve for our total helplessness, can we flee into His arms.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5: 3
I cannot say I truly walked with Christ in step and in the same direction for many years. I had claimed His name for almost fifty years before I even began to understand. Decades later I am still learning. Someone asked me lately how I had arrived at this age and still remained active. I replied, “God isn’t done making me what He wants me to become.”
Aha. There is a reason God leaves His children alive and kicking after we come to the point of effectual calling, [iii] the point in our lives when the Holy Spirit draws us to faith in Christ. God has given us our years whether a few or many. If we are Christ followers, no matter our age, our task is to “proclaim” God’s power and might to those who follow in the next generation.
We proclaim by serving as His ambassadors in a dark world. An ambassador lives among a “foreign” nation, represents His country, and communication goes back and forth between his place and the government in his homeland. Our homeland is heaven and the presence of our mighty King of kings. Our message is one of reconciliation to God.
John Adams, first ambassador from the United States of America
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5: 20
We proclaim by how we live among our fellow travelers in this dark world, work beside them, share fruitful lives, reflect the image of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Psalm 37: 3
~~~
Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. Jeremiah 29: 4-7
We proclaim in demonstrating the heart of Jesus to others by how we live godly character attributes:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5: 22-24
Only when we understand that we live this daily, earthbound life as ambassadors from a glorious kingdom and keep open communication by prayer and study of His word; only when we seek the welfare of others; only when we live like children of the kingdom of Light, will others listen to our proclamation of God’s might and power.
Each of us has a means to proclaim to others. We all live our proclamation by how we treat others, and sometimes we need words. Words—the Word of God, however, can bring others to faith in Christ. I write. Others preach. Some make music. Some teach. Another one counsels. There are many ways we proclaim. Any words we say, however, if not backed up by how we live, are empty. Proclaim.
Challenge:
How do you see yourself as a proclaimer? Assess your gifts; listen for your call; live as the King’s representative on mission until He calls you home, and keep frequent contact with the King.
Prayer:
King Jesus, I pray I will continue to proclaim Your might and power to the world around me. Give me words, but more, give me a heart for those who haven’t claimed Your name for their eternal homeland. Because of Calvary and Your sacrifice there, Amen.
Promise:
“Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” Matthew 5: 23
All Scripture taken from English Standard Version (ESV)
[i] This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
[ii] This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
[iii] Shorter_Catechism.pdf question/answer 31
[iv] https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/JpqvtvukLhTbixNGihzA92_pfQw=/1026×684/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/cb/86/cb860e01-55f9-4e27-95b8-28997ca495b3/official_presidential_portrait_of_john_adams_by_john_trumbull_circa_1792.jpg
[v] Stock photo
[vi] This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
