AGING WITH GRACE - Ch 3 Destiny to Destination

Aging with Grace is a book written by Sharon W. Betters and Susan Hunt.  We are using this book along with our Bibles in our in-person Womens Fellowship/Study group.  We are glad you are joining us online, either by reading the book, reading these summaries, or by visiting the online resources that coordinate with the book.  You may also decide to purchase the book online - you won't be disappointed.  There are many scripture references for each chapter discussion, plus discussion questions at the end of each chapter.   

I'd love to know your comments, and questions which you can leave at the bottom of this blog post or you can email me at sboback54@gmail.com. 

Make sure to read each of the blog posts starting with an announcement about the goals of the Womens Fellowship/Study and the Introduction of this book.  

We are women, in our late 60's and older, who have felt the changes in our bodies and lifestyles during these years of aging. While each of us comes from different circumstances, when we gather together in person or with you across the internet, we gather as a community of faithful women who are seeking to Know the LORD on a deeper level and especially as we travel through these years. 

CHAPTER 3 DESTINY AND DESTINATION

Heavenly Father: Your word IS a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.  Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths.  Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You, I will wait all the day long. You have made known to me the paths of life; You will make me full of gladness with Your presence.  (Psalms 119: 105; 25:4-5; Acts 2:28) AWG

This week's chapter is focused on Psalm 92:5-11

What comes to mind when you think of the word, "DESTINY"?

"Manifest Destiny" is the first thing I thought of.  It means "the 19th-century doctrine or belief that the expansion of the United States throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable."

Or how about "Destiny" a Swedish heavy metal band that was formed in 1980.  

I haven't heard this for a while, but you'd often hear that when you found your ideal job or one to love, "it must be my destiny."

From our author, Susan Hunt, her dictionary definition is "a predetermined, usually inevitable or irresistible course of events. Synonyms (words that are similar) "fate, fortune, luck, karma, chance, providence, predestination, divine decree, God's will, reflecting two contrasting views."

Scripture tells us God "foreknew" each of us before we were born, and that He has a plan for our lives. (Ephesians 1:4-6)

In Chapter 1 we read this statement:

WHAT IF:  we are supposed to discover who we really are or have been since the 1st half of our life?

This statement seems to make more and more sense as we read and discover that God has planned this stage of our life more than we ever thought.

What comes to mind when you think of the word, "DESTINATION"?

The first definition that popped into my mind was a “Destination Wedding”.  A wedding that is planned all around a special place, a special vacation for a few special people.

The definitions I found are "Place" or "a specific place to arrive at".  The Dictionary definition is finish line; goal to keep in mind; where you intend to end up.

PSALM 92: 5-11

How great are your works, Lord,

how profound your thoughts! Senseless people do not know,

fools do not understand, that though the wicked spring up like grass

and all evildoers flourish,

they will be destroyed forever. But you, Lord, are forever exalted. For surely your enemies, Lord,

surely your enemies will perish;

all evildoers will be scattered.  You have exalted my horn[a] like that of a wild ox;

fine oils have been poured on me. My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries;

my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.

Our author points us that to the question, 'how are you doing?. We often hear (or we say it ourselves) these responses "Oh, I'm okay under the circumstances," or "I'm hanging in there".  She continues to tell us that if we are in Christ, if we are confident in who we are - an active follower of Christ – we would not be using these phrases.  

The question then is "are you in the world" or "are you in Christ"?

I really have to stop and think about that. An immediate, no doubt response would be "I'm in Christ!" but when I think about saying “I'm okay under the circumstances” or "hanging in", I don't really think of it, until now, as admitting that I don't trust the LORD or believe in His plan for me.

How about you?  There's probably times when we have all felt down or been sick for a long time, and really want things to be better than they have been for some time.

We are created to know God, not by our mental capacity but to personally love the Lord our God.

How about that?   I can KNOW God!  You can KNOW God! and He has a plan for me! He has a plan for you! (Page 65 AWG)

At our age, in the Afternoon of Life, it may be hard for us to think about getting to Know God on a deeper level.

The one word that centers my faith is KNOW.   I realized that I knew who God was; I had learned that; I shared the Word of God with people in worship; I knew about the Old Testament history, and I knew about Jesus in New Testament, days of Jesus walking among the people.   But it wasn't until I felt empty and started to SEEK the LORD of the Bible that I discovered who Jesus really is.

Another phrase we often hear or say ourselves, "I'm too old to change," which is also not Biblical thinking.  Our bodies change, so do our hearts. But “When our hope is in Christ, our circumstances don’t always change, but there is radical change in our character, attitudes and actions.” (Page 66) We have found our DESTINY

PRAISE: Praising God opens the door to who you become NOW.  Its discovering your destiny - your destination from NOW to Eternity.  It doesn't start at eternity. 

Let’s not forget that we proclaimed in the beginning of this study that we want to FLOURISH. Flourishing happens in community.  Old age is a time to press close to community life. (page 72) Even if we cannot always attend worship in person, we can pray for and encourage others.

I had missed two weeks in a row, then went back, then got sick and missed another.   I am grateful for the opportunity to join in worship online with my church family.  But I know of others who cannot attend in person due to their personal or family circumstances. We are still in community with others, joining online and praying for one another. 

“We need the “means of Grace” – scripture, prayer, worship, sacrament – to remind us.  We need fellowship with God’s people to inspire us.  When we gather with others, we look around and see others who are waiting for the Savior.   We see widows, we see women whose lives were taken up with caregiving, we see others who live in chronic pain, and those that are starting after divorce.  The pain and sorrow of this world spills into our lives but we do not live without hope (1 Thess 4:13)”

Matt 18:20 is a reminder to us “where two or more are gathering in my name, there I am among them.” A temptation of those in the Afternoon of Life is to withdraw.  But we FLOURISH when we gather together with God’s people because He is there with us.  

SUMMARY:  Remember that

+          God has a role for us NOW – that our DESTINATION is to be seeking Him, to thrive in Him

+          we are to PRAISE Him NOW through eternity. 

+          we FLOURISH when we can gather together in His name

Thanks for stopping by.   Make sure to click on the links above for information about the book or the Revive Our Hearts Womens Ministry.   Be Blessed! sb