LOOKING BACK As I understand it, those who speak about a mid-life crisis are referring to the fact that many people undergo a time in their middle years as they think about their goals and what they have, or have not, achieved. For some people this crisis causes them to run away from their responsibilities or strive to regain their lost youth, often in foolish ways, such as the middle aged man who suddenly leaves his wife and family and falls in love with a young girl. The Bible tells us that King David had something of a similar experience when he reached middle age. He was supposed to be leading his troops in battle, but for some reason he had grown slack and stayed instead at the palace. There he saw a beautiful woman named Bathsheba. She was another man’s wife, but King David committed adultery with her and had her husband sent into battle and to his death in his place. It was a dark time in the life of a man who had otherwise tried to obey God and for some months King David lived out of fellowship with God as a result. Another man realised that he was getting older, and in a fit of depression wondered why he had wasted so much of his life. One of the saddest things is to see people who come to the end of their lives and have never asked who they are or why they are here. We are not here by chance – God put us here. He put us here for a purpose, and the most important thing we can do is to discover that purpose and commit ourselves to it. What is God’s purpose for each one of us? First of all, God wants us to come to know Him personally by giving our lives to Jesus Christ. Then He wants us to discover in our daily lives what it means to live for Him and to follow His will. The Bible says, “Seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness.” So what have we been living for – money, pleasure, security, happiness, success? Whatever it has been, it can never been lasting. We were made for a relationship with God and we will only find true meaning and purpose in life in Jesus Christ. Another King in the Bible, Solomon, a very wise king, wrote in the Book of Ecclesiates: “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired, I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work and this was the reward for all my labour. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, Everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind, nothing was gained under the sun.” Looking back has its dangers when it takes our eyes off the road ahead. Small doses of nostalgia are harmless enough. Photo albums can restore memories. But we can’t live in the past. Every day, life calls us to adventure. On our journey we shall require more luggage then memories. We shall need equipment for exploration, weapons against attack, and the constant awareness of a companion who walks beside us and who is Himself the Way, the Truth and the Life. Have a good week. Pastor Ron. Optional Bible readings: 2 Samuel 11:3-17; Matthew 6:33; Ecclesiastes 2:10,11: John 14:6 This is one of a series of weekly messages of encouragement, now in its fifth year, originating from the Derwent Valley, near Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. A companion Bible study page is available each week. To subscribe email <> with the words ‘subscribe word’ (or)
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Pastor Ron Clarke JP (Mark 16:15)
An e-mail from the Derwent Valley, near Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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