Devotional - June 10, 2004

Proverbs 19:31 tells us that gray hair is a crown of splendor and is attained through living righteously. David, his father wrote the promise that stated that the righteous will see their grandchildren. In 1 Kings we read how this promise worked in the life of his son, Solomon.

You see, as Solomon matured, he turned away from living righteously. Did he live long enough to have gray hair and see his grand-kids? We don't know for certain, but if Solomon's life proved anything, it was that knowing the truth doesn't always mean you have regard for it.

A preacher named Manley Beasley died a few years ago, leaving behind a godly legacy of serving the Lord. I have his name written beside Psalm 128 to remind me of his testimony.

Manley often spoke on the subject of faith and believed this verse was God's promise to him. Whether God gave him the promise can't be proven, but the fact remains. In spite of having multiple deadly diseases and barely skirting death on more than one occasion, Manley eventually held his grand-kids in his arms and thanked God for keeping his promise.

You might be of the opinion that Manley's faith was a great deal of presumption on his part. How dare someone take David's statement and turn it into his own! Well, you can dispute the validity of his claim all you will, but the fact remains: it happened! Now, my name doesn't deserve being mentioned in the same context as these men, but I feel compelled to mention that I have my own promise from God.

Growing up, a lot of people told me they felt God had something special planned for my life, but few agreed on what that plan was, including me. Then, as a junior in High School, I remember where I was the night I had the overwhelming sense I was dying - soon. Seventeen years old and your life ahead of you; the thought you're about to die can be a little depressing, you know?

I remember picking up my Bible and opening it randomly to see the text of Psalm 118:17 staring back at me. "I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done." I remember looking at it and immediately discounting it. I stuck my finger on that verse while turning to find something more credible to believe. It took over fifty years of near-death experiences, premature gray hair and a quiver full of grandchildren before I began to read that verse and understand that what I was promised was true.

By the way, I've always felt the "proclaiming" part of that promise was for someone else and not me. You see, I've never perceived myself as an impressive preacher/teacher and have therefore always discounted the second part of that promise as irrelevant. That is, until recently.

As I write this, I continue to live out God's promise and He has proven faithful to do what He said he would do regardless of my eagerness to believe it. Regardless of what you've heard before, faith is not so much your ability to believe God as His ability to do what He's promised. And, our God is faithful to all generations of believers.

Heavenly Father: It's my joy to once again proclaim to everyone that you are faithful to keep Your word. TY!

1 Developed from Read the Bible Thru ( 1 Ki. 7:1-51 Ac. 7:30-50 Ps. 128:1-6 Pr. 16:31-33 )
2. Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society