fast falls the eventide

 Meditations on old age from Psalm 71 and other Scriptures 

Two

Life’s Little Day 

Walking the path of life

“Abide with us, for evening approaches, and the day is almost over”.

(Luke 24:29)

Introduction

The summer of 1983 proved to be a significant turning point in my life. A month short of my 19th birthday I signed up to join a summer mission team in the Solway village of Creetown. It would become, in my mum’s words, “the beginning of days” in my Christian experience. On the team’s day off our leader took us on a visit to a small hamlet called Anwoth a few miles further south. It was there that I learned about one of the most significant ministries in Scottish church history. It belonged to the renowned churchman Samuel Rutherford.

On returning from that two week mission I discovered a biography of Samuel Rutherford in my parent’s collection that I still have to this day (it’s now held together by sellotape!). One sentence stood out from the pen of its author, Andrew Thomson. He comments, “We find him, more than once, when exhorting young men to consecrate to God the morning of their days, lamenting that he had delayed this step until it was high noon.” The little phrase, “consecrate to God the morning of their days” has stayed with me all these years. It imagines the span of our life being like a single day with its key phases:

 Dawn

  Sunrise

   Morning

    Noon

     Afternoon 

      Sunset

       Dusk

        Twilight

          Evening 

And it urges the young, in the morning of their days to “Remember their Creator…” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). 

Andrew Thomson’s vivid phrase brings home the brevity of life and Psalm 90 is a poignant reminder of this truth: “You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers” (Psalm 90:5-6). There is a poem attached to a clock case in Chester Cathedral written by Henry Twells which echoes Moses’ words:

When as a child I laughed and wept, time crept. 

When as a youth I waxed more bold, time strolled. 

When I became a full-grown man, time ran. 

When older still I daily grew, time flew. 

Soon I shall find, in passing on, time gone. 

O Christ! wilt Thou have saved me then? Amen.”

In light of this, the crucial question we must ask ourselves is how we will spend “life’s little day”? Or to put it another way, and to quote from Mary Oliver’s beautiful poem, “The Summer Day” - 

“What is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?”

We must recognise that life is short and fleeting; eternal value comes from living according to God’s will rather than selfish ambitions. Therefore, the call of Scripture is to spend our lives on a number of key pursuits. Whatever part of the day you find yourself living in let me encourage you to aim in the following directions:

➡️ Get To Know The Lord

Philippians 3:10 is, in many ways, the heart cry of the apostle Paul. Ask him what he wants most in life and he will reply, “That I may know him…” He desires a deep, personal relationship with Jesus, not just the accumulation of facts about him. We often default to knowing about Jesus - having information and facts about him - and missing out on the most important thing…actually knowing him. 

Jesus himself said, “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only truth God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). And the apostle Peter urged us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.”

I recall choosing Philippians 3:10 as the text for a sermon in my homiletics class (preparing and delivering sermons) at Bible College. The lecturer gave some favourable comments but said the sermon left him wondering how he would get to know the Lord in practice! Therefore, let me address that flaw in my preparation 38 years later! We deepen our knowledge of the Lord if we:

→ Study the Scriptures Daily

By this I mean that we read and meditate on the Scriptures to more fully understand Jesus’ character and teachings.

→ Pray Regularly

Spend quality time in prayer to communicate with God. This enables us to discern his guidance and align our heart with his. 

→ Connect with a Local Church

The Lord’s heart is that we belong to a local fellowship of believers where his word is taught and where we can be encouraged and encourage our brothers and sister in Christ

→ Practice Obedience to the Lord

As we read and meditate on God’s Word, the Lord Jesus calls us to apply what we’ve learned in our daily life. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

→ Cultivate, with the Holy Spirit’s Help, Spiritual Graces 

Galatians 5:22 (the fruit of the Spirit) and 2 Peter 1:5-8 (the ladder of faith) are wonderful passages to reflect on which encourage us to develop godly character thus becoming like Christ.

Secondly, 

➡️ Learn To Live Wisely 

The apostle Paul urges us in Ephesians 5, “Be very careful, then how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (verse 15).

In John Piper’s book, “Don’t Waste Your Life”, he tells two contrasting stories that illustrate the importance of Paul’s words. 

In the first he introduces us to two missionaries around the age of 80. Both had devoted their lives to making Jesus Christ known to the unreached, the poor, and the sick in Cameroon, West Africa. In April 2000 the brakes failed on their car and it went over a cliff killing them instantly. Piper then asks the question, “Was that a tragedy? Two lives, driven by one great passion, namely to be spent in unheralded service to the perishing poor for the glory of Jesus Christ…No, that is not a tragedy. That is glory. Their lives were not wasted. And these lives were not lost. “Whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:35).”

He then goes on to tell us what he believes to be a tragedy and quotes from a story in the Reader’s Digest magazine. It introduces us to a couple who took early retirement and moved to Florida, where they cruise on their 30 foot trawler, play softball and collect shells. Piper drives his point home by saying, “Come to the end of your life - your one and only precious, God given life, and let your last great work of your life, before you give an account to your Creator, be this: playing softball and collecting shells…That is a tragedy…Don’t waste your life.” 

Echoing down from the first century, inspired Scripture implores us, “Be very careful, then how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil”

And finally,

➡️ Seek To Make The Lord Known 

1 Peter 3:15 states, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”

The importance of this is highlighted by a survey that “the Institute for Church Growth” took which asked over 10,000 people this question: "What was responsible for your coming to Christ and this church?" Their replies were…
   - I had a special need - 3%
   - I just walked in - 3%
   - I liked the minister - 6%
   - I visited there - 1%
   - I liked the Bible studies - 5%
   - I liked the programmes - 3%
   - A FRIEND OR RELATIVE INVITED ME - 79%

In the ordinary stuff of life sharing our faith is like “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread!”

Conclusion

We’ve reflected on “life’s little day” which highlights both its brevity and the urgency to make the most of the precious life we’ve been given to the glory of God. For the believer in Jesus Christ there is the promise of an eternal day. In the closing chapters of Isaiah he presents it in the following way: “Your sun shall no more go down, not your moon withdraw itself, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of morning shall be ended” (Isaiah 60:20). 

I conclude with a night prayer of the church from the centuries old “Book of Hours”:

Abide with us, Lord Jesus,

for the night is at hand and the day is now past.

As the night watch looks for the morning,

so do we look for you, O Christ.

Come with the dawning of the day

and make yourself known in the breaking of the bread.

The Lord bless us and watch over us;

the Lord make his face shine upon us and be gracious to us; the Lord look kindly on us and give us peace.

Amen.

(picture - sunset over the Summer Isles)

a thriving and flourishing soul

 The satellite images of England this summer were quite startling. England’s “green and pleasant land” looked parched and barren from outer space. Eventually the nation was officially registered as living in drought conditions.

In the mist of all of this, the TV presenter, Jeremy Clarkston, came in for some media attention (nothing unusual there!). The reason was that his Cotswolds pub maintained a lush green lawn through this season of drought. However, in order for this to happen it transpired that he had drilled roughly 100 metres underground to access private groundwater. This private borehole was legal because it avoided the local mains with the accompanying hosepipe bans. 

In the final chapter of the prophecy of Habakkuk he imagines living in a season of drought. Here is what he says,

“Though the fig tree should not blossom,
    nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
    and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
    and there be no herd in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

God, the Lord, is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the deer's;
    he makes me tread on my high places.”

(Hab. 3:17-19)

What a truly remarkable statement of trust in the Lord. Habakkuk’s outward circumstances were bleak and barren but inwardly his soul was flourishing and thriving. Habakkuk chose to rejoice in the Lord. He made a conscious decision to hope in God. He knows the Lord therefore focuses on the character of God.

It echoes what Jeremiah said in his prophecy:

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
    whose trust is the Lord.

He is like a tree planted by water,
    that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
    for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
    for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

(Jeremiah 17:7-8)

What about us? Leaving aside the literal drought that England experienced, how do we as believers flourish today in what can be a spiritually barren landscape? Well, there are ancient streams that we can bore down to that will help us thrive and flourish in the drouth (to quote an old Scottish word).

I’ll mention four in this blog because I believe they complement each other. The first is:

➡️ Study Scripture

It is of crucial importance that we feed on the God’s Word daily to maintain spiritual health. The gateway to the Psalms (Psalm 1) captures this perfectly:

“Blessed is the man
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.”

(Psalm 1:1-3)

And secondly,

➡️ Seek God in Prayer

We sang the old hymn, “What a friend we have in Jesus” at church yesterday and it reminds us of this precious gift God has given us:

What a friend we have in Jesus,

all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

everything to God in prayer!

The next two streams accompany the first two if our souls are to flourish and thrive. Let me illustrate it the following way. Outside the town of Dalry where I grew up there is a dam known as the Auldmuir Reservoir. I recall walking up to it when I was young. Next to the reservoir I discovered a large pond which was full of stagnant water. The dam was full of fresh water while the pond clearly wasn’t. The reason for this was that the reservoir had an outlet which kept the water fresh while the pond only had an inlet and it eventually became stagnant. Our souls will be healthy if there is an intake of God’s Word accompanied by the following two outlets:

➡️ Shepherd Others

The Lord calls us to encourage and feed the truth we have within our community, church and family.

➡️ Share the Gospel

He also calls us to be active in spreading the gospel message with others.

These four streams will go a long way to counteract spiritual drought in our lives.

John Newton expressed it this way in his paraphrase of Psalm 87:

See, the streams of living waters,

springing from eternal love,

well supply thy sons and daughters

and all fear of want remove.

Who can faint while such a river 

ever flows their thirst to assuage?

Grace, which like the Lord, the Giver,

never fails from age to age.

And Jesus came as the fulfilment of all the Old Testament promised…

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

(John 7:37-38).

(picture - waterfall near Kyleshu)

four truths that make all the difference

I’ve just finished reading the longest book in the bible…and it was a tough read! It’s the Old Testament prophecy of Jeremiah. Known as “the Weeping Prophet,” Jeremiah is given the unenviable task of being God’s servant during the darkest days of Israel’s history.  He prophesied on the eve of God’s people being taken into exile. There would be no happy ending, no visible signs of lives changed and society ordered for the better as a result of his ministry. There was only his lone voice speaking out against the unfaithfulness of the Israelites and the resultant consequences of their actions. 

Against that background I have been much helped by reflecting on the opening chapter of the book. It acts as the introduction to, and the key to understanding the book. Perhaps more than that, it provides us with wonderful insights in the Lord’s character and his call on Jeremiah’s life. 

What would furnish Jeremiah with the necessary means to be God’s man in such trying circumstances? The Lord’s word to him provided the answer. He reminded him of four key truths that are, in many ways, applicable to all of God’s people. The Lord said,

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

(Jer. 1:5)

The first truth was a reminder of:

➡️ God’s Creative Power - “I formed you”

Jeremiah needed to hear a truth that Genesis 1 introduces us to and which permeates all of Scripture. That is, we are made by God and for God. Genesis 1 teaches that we are made in the image of God (verse 27). This means that we are not just advanced apes, one step further along the evolutionary scale than the rest of the animal kingdom.

God’s creative power would remind Jeremiah that the source of human dignity lies in the fact that God made us. He was a person of infinite worth in God’s eyes. 

The second truth centres on:

➡️ God’s Intimate Knowledge - “I knew you”

As I said above Jeremiah was the prophet who would prophesy God’s people into exile. And the Lord saw qualities in this man that would equip him for such a task. Psalm 139 is a wonderful commentary on this truth. “O Lord you have searched me and KNOWN ME…” (verse1).

Thirdly, Jeremiah would discover:

➡️ God’s Sacred Anointing - “I consecrated you”

Jeremiah was a man set apart to be God’s prophet, not only to the Israelites but also to the nations at large.

And finally he learn of:

➡️ God’s Effectual Call - “I appointed you” 

God had a purpose and a task for Jeremiah even before he was born.

The Lord knew Jeremiah’s unique character traits, personality and temperament. And he knew how he would respond to his call…

“Then (Jeremiah) said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.

Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the Lord.”

(Jer. 1:6-8)

Jeremiah felt inadequate. He did not feel up to the task that the Lord has set before him. But the Lord wanted him to know that he had all the resources necessary for this call on his life.

Over my life I have worked with people who are far more intelligent than I am and have greater capacity than I will ever have. However, I am so grateful to God that I learned in my early 20s that the Lord can take me as I am, in all my weakness, and use me in the way that he sees fit.

Wherever we are today in our walk with God today, the Lord’s call on Jeremiah’s life can be an encouragement:

“I CAN’T BUT THE LORD CAN.”

(picture - The Berklet Trail at Ballachulish)