The Gift of Years: Bible reflections for older people BRF 2014 Published by The Bible Reading Fellowship 15 The Chambers, Vineyard, Abingdon, OX14 3FE United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1865 319700 Email: enquiries@brf.org.uk Website: www.brf.org.uk BRF is a Registered Charity ISBN 978 0 85746 413 2 First published 2014 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 All rights reserved Acknowledgements Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Anglicised edition, copyright 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica (formerly International Bible Society). Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. NIV is a registered trademark of Biblica (formerly International Bible Society). UK trademark number 1448790. Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Anglicised Edition, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. Extracts from the Authorised Version of the Bible (The King James Bible), the rights in which are vested in the Crown, are reproduced by permission of the Crown s Patentee, Cambridge University Press. Cover design and internal layout by Heather Knight A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Printed in the UK by Rainbow Print 2
From the Editor Tricia Williams Welcome! We hope you will find these Bible reflections helpful and encouraging. Both of our writers, David Winter and Lin Ball, know for themselves, or through loved ones, the challenges (and joys!) of growing older. David writes the series Hope is the Promise, reminding us of the certain hope of life with God: God is our refuge (Psalm 62:8, NIV). In her series Of Life and Loss, Lin reflects on how as Christians we can bear the inevitable sense of loss that affects our lives as we grow older. We re reminded of God s promise: Even to your old age I will sustain you (Isaiah 46:4, NIV). We d love to hear from you about how these reflections have helped you (see pp 31 32). Our prayer for this booklet is that, as you spend time with God, you will come closer to him, as he draws near to you. God bless you, About the writers David Winter is a former producer and Head of Religious Broadcasting at the BBC. He is also the author of 43 books, the most recent being At the End of the Day: Enjoying Life in the Departure Lounge (BRF). Now retired from full-time ministry, he lives in Berkshire. Lin Ball s career began in journalism over 40 years ago. She feels blessed to have explored many different areas of writing. Highlights include interviewing missionaries for OMF, editing Bible resources with Scripture Union for over twelve years, and creating radio programmes about disability. 3
How to use The Gift of Years Bible reflections Perhaps you have always had a special daily time for reading the Bible and praying. But now, as you grow older, you are finding it more difficult to keep to a regular pattern or find it hard to concentrate. Or, maybe you ve never done this before. Whatever your situation, these Bible reflections aim to help you take a few moments to read God s word and pray, whenever you have time or feel that would be helpful. Time with God You may find it helpful to use these Bible reflections in the morning or last thing at night, or any time during the day. You could use them, as Debbie suggests in her welcome, as a way of making an appointment to chat with God. There are 20 daily Bible reflections here. Each one includes some verses from the Bible, a reflection to help you in your own thinking about God and a suggestion for prayer. The reflections aren t dated, so it doesn t matter if you don t want to read every day. The Bible verses are printed, but if you d like to read from your own Bible that s fine too. Using these reflections Take time to quieten yourself, becoming aware of God s presence, asking him to speak to you through the Bible and the reflection. Read the Bible verses and the reflection: - What do you especially like or find helpful in these verses? - What might God be saying to you through this reading? - Is there something to pray about or thank God for? Pray. Each reflection includes a prayer suggestion. You might like to pray for yourself or take the opportunity to think about and pray for others. 4
Introduction Hope is the promise Can you fix it? I asked the plumber, as we both looked at a sink full of stagnant water. Mmm, he said, I hope so. It wasn t very reassuring, but a couple of hours and a good few pounds later the job was, in fact, done. Hope, in English, is a funny word, because we can use it to express real confidence, but also to convey an element of doubt. Have you passed your exams? we ask a grandchild and get the cautious reply, I hope so. When we come to the Bible, and especially the New Testament, the picture is quite different, because the writers aren t thinking of hope as a possibility, but as a promised certainty. Hope, for them, is trust in a God who keeps his word, and while the outcome may be long delayed, it is as certain as tomorrow s sunrise a comparison made very beautifully in Psalm 130 (v. 6): My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning (NRSV). Hope, for the New Testament writers, is not a vague emotion, a sort of optimistic feeling that something good might turn up, like Billy Bunter s postal order. Hope is a gift of God, one of those three things which, as St Paul said, abide for ever, along with faith and love (1 Corinthians 13:13, NRSV). With God the eventual outcome will be good indeed, glorious. That s hope, and it s a promise. 5
Psalm 33:18 22 (NRSV) Steadfast love Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and shield. Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. When I meet a couple who are thinking of getting married, I often ask what each is bringing to the relationship, and what they expect to get from it. This psalm sets out precisely those two sides of our relationship with God. He brings wonderful blessings to the relationship. His eye will watch over us. He will help us and shield us from harm. Above all, his steadfast love will be upon us. That s not a bad list! However, on our side there are things we should bring to the relationship. We are to fear him (the word simply means treat him with reverence, not take him lightly). We are to wait for him, patiently trusting in what he has promised. Our hearts are to be glad in him this is a God who wants his people to be joyful. And above all, we are to find our hope in his steadfast love. Steadfast love is a frequent phrase in the Psalms it occurs 119 times! It is, it seems, the key quality of God s nature. However much we change, he doesn t. His love for us is steadfast. So to put our trust and hope in the Lord is to place our own ever-changing, fragile lives into the hands of a steadfast, unchanging and loving God. Prayer May I know in my life the steadfast love of God, and, in praying and caring, share its blessing with those around me. Amen 6
Psalm 62:5 8 (NRSV) God alone is my rock For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honour; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Waiting isn t something most of us are good at, whether it s the bus that s late, the train that doesn t come, or a visit from friends and family we ve been looking forward to for a while. We re constantly told in the Psalms (the hymn book of the Jews in Bible times) that we should wait on the Lord, but that s a different sort of waiting. More like the waiter in a restaurant, we are to be ready and waiting to respond to God s prompting perhaps to act generously, or to say sorry, or to offer help where it s needed. When, in that sense of the word, we wait on God, all kinds of good things can follow. In the silence of prayer he gives us hope. In times of trouble he holds us fast and offers us a refuge, a place of safety. When we feel we re nobodies, he gives us self-respect ( honour ). When nothing seems certain or secure, he alone is a rock to which we can cling. Prayer As I silently wait to hear your voice, Lord, show me the sort of person you want me to be. Help me not just to cling to the rock myself, but to be a rock for others. Amen 7
Romans 12:9 13 (NRSV) Genuine love Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. I love you, he says, gazing into her eyes. But she, being a wise young woman, asks herself, Does he really mean it? Let love be genuine, says the apostle Paul, and then proceeds to offer a remarkably practical guide, starting with hating evil but holding fast to what is good. Genuine love shows genuine affection, and draws it out of others it s mutual. It doesn t just talk the talk, but shows itself in action. It respects other people ( showing honour ) and it has practical consequences contributing to the needs of God s people and being hospitable: don t forget the food bank, or that neighbour who ll be alone at Christmas. These practical signs of genuine love flow, we may note, from a loving heart. Those who show genuine love are full of hope themselves. They are patient in suffering ; they persevere in prayer. It s not that they re do-gooders, but that the love of God in their hearts simply overflows into the lives of those around them. They don t need to preach. Their lives do the talking. Prayer Lord, create in me a heart of love a love that reflects the love of Christ, who fed the hungry, cared for the poor and healed the sick. Amen 8
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