THE TESTIMONY OF AN OLD FAITHFUL MAN

 Maurice Chevalier once said that "a comfortable old age is the reward of a well-spent youth. Instead of its bringing sad and melancholy prospects of decay, it would give us hopes of eternal youth in a better world". You cannot just have a successful one unless you invest in it. For even those who cannot see beyond life here, they have some plans of a sort for old age. Only that for them, they seek investment only in passing things. The lucky ones still have some wealth when the time arrives. But the very sincere ones would tell you that, though they have wealth, their peace which they need most at that age is absent. George Sand, an old French novelist said that we need to try to keep our souls young and quivering right up to old age. But how do we? Let us reflect on the life of Abraham, a man who had a seemingly fulfilling old age. 

Gen 24:1 “Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things”. When I read this verse the first time, it was as though the latter half jumped off the page into my heart.

Though affected by the Adamic curse of age and frailty, he had favour in the sight of God. “Abraham had been blessed in all things by the Lord”. He was probably here an old, tired man who was near death but filled certainly with peace and all fulfilment. Even though he buried the wife Sarah not too long ago I believe he still had an unfailing inner peace. I believe fear of death was absent with him and his regrets must be few.

 I am quite sure that even though Abraham would be grateful to God for the riches of cattle, silver and gold bestowed on him, those transient riches and their passing glories certainly did not take his eyes off the ever merciful and loving God who faithfully led him and kept His word through it all. The person of God must be the subject that would capture the brightness of his old eyes of faith in worship here.  He had well finished his race, had started having a feel of his home above through the blessings from above bestowed on him for his faithful walk with God here.

How did he get all these enviable blessings? Of course God was merciful to him. But the old man sought first the kingdom of God, feared God and walked in all righteousness by faith and he earned blessings from above in all things.

Honestly, what kept me wondering about this verse is how it would feel like to be blessed by the Lord in everything. I am sure the almost omnipresence of emptiness in all men, young and old was not the case with father Abraham.

How did he get hear? He walked by a living faith that knew only to always yield to the commands of the most High. He trusted God with an “ever-fresh trust”. He emptied himself of everything the world by greed might seek to adore and cleave on and held in high esteem the Lord who made all things. And Jehovah God filled him with all blessings. O indeed we all ought to desire such emptiness if we have a dream to be filled and fulfilled greatly in all things.

Let us walk with God by faith always even as we are still young or have life so that like Abraham, it would be said of us one day, we were blessed by God in all things. 

(29^th December, 2016).