"THE EVERLASTING ARMS"

"Thy shoes shall be iron and brass: and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.....The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Deuteronomy 33:25, 27

Baby Boomers are the generation of Americans born between 1945 and 1963, from the end of World War II to the assassination of President John Kennedy and the removal of prayer from public schools. The sociological tag for this post-war generation came from a cover story in LIFE magazine in the 1950's. A picture of a hospital nursery full of babies with the caption "A Baby Boom!" gave rise to a new term which stuck . . . Baby Boomers.

Now Baby Boomers are all past forty years of age with some entering their sixties. The Baby Boomers are becoming senior citizens with challenges of old age, retirement, declining health and death staring them in the face. As always, God's infallible Word has wonderful promises for the aging Boomer.

Our Predicament “As thy days are . . .” The author Moses, who was nearly 120 years old as he wrote, mentions the length of the days of our lives. "As thy days are" speaks of the gift of life and the limited lifespan that is determined for each of the children of Adam. We have a limited number of days to live. As the days go by, we grow older and are one day nearer to our end. Our physical strength declines as each day passes. The Holy Spirit tells us that "all flesh is as grass." (Isaiah 40:6) These physical bodies, these temporary houses for our soul and spirit, will fade like the spring grass. The Psalmist advises us "to number our days that we may incline our hearts unto wisdom." (Psalm 90:12)

Our predicament is that we are allotted only a certain number of days until our days run out. We grow old, our bodies weaken, and we face eternity. Who can help us in this aging process?

His Promise "As thy days are, so shall thy strength be." Here is our help - the promise of our loving Father, our Creator and Redeemer. God's Word promises that even as we grow old, He will never leave us or forsake us. As long as our days continue, the strength to live the day will go with us. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." (Psalm 23:6) As our physical strength wanes, His presence will give us a growing inner and spiritual peace and strength. He is with us, and we are promised the strength for all that life and responsibility places upon us daily. "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) God's call to service always includes His equipping and anointing. As the Baby Boomers grow older, those who trust in Christ will be enabled to fulfill life's duties and God's spiritual calling.

Phillips Brooks, the great Boston pastor, well said, "Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then not only will the doing of your work be a miracle; you will be a miracle!"

His Presence "The eternal God is our refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." His promise is His presence. His presence in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and in our heart by the Holy Spirit is the greatest gift. As we grow older, His presence will be with us. Moses here mentions the "everlasting arms" of God which are always underneath us to guide us and catch us when we fall and fail. The mother eagle will break up her nest when it is time for the eaglet to fly. The wings of the mother eagle are underneath to catch her falling young and lift them to the heights until they learn to use their own wings. So, God's "everlasting arms" are beneath us to uphold us wherever we go and however old we become.

There is a hymn which has blessed many Christians and is titled "Leaning On the Everlasting Arms" and is based on our Scripture. As Baby Boomers become senior adults and learn they are not invincible and need God more than they ever imagined, God will be present for them. Whatever is ahead as we grow older, underneath will be His everlasting arms.

"What have I to dread, what have I to fear,

Leaning on the everlasting arms?

I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning, leaning on Jesus,

Safe and secure from all alarms;

Leaning, leaning, leaning on Jesus,

Leaning on the everlasting arms."