(Bless the Lord O my soul) who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103:5)
In the previous devotion we spoke of the inevitability of growing weaker as our bodies grow older. Juxtaposed with that universal law is the fact that, as servants of the Most High, our spirit man should increase in strength and power as the years go by because God gives us heavenly bread to feed our souls. That said, there are those occasions when, as a person grows spiritually, their physical body is sustained as well. For instance, the Bible tells us that, at the time of his passing, Moses’ “eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished” (Deuteronomy 34:7). When it came time for Jacob to die, though leaning on his staff, he delivered prophecies to all of his sons and then simply “drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last” (Genesis 49:33).
Even though it is “appointed for men to die once,” walking upright before God has physical benefits as well as spiritual. Furthermore, should we find ourselves in a season of suffering, such as Job experienced, there is a promise that the Lord will renew our strength. That is the message in David’s words, “your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Eagles, like other birds, will go through seasons of molting; they shed their old feathers, and for a while, appear sickly and diseased. However, losing their old feathers is part of a process that allows for new growth.
Likewise, when we go through seasons of loss and disappointment, it is an opportunity for us to grow closer to our Heavenly Father and become stronger spiritually, and sometimes physically. To those with an upright heart who suffer the Lord says, “His flesh shall be young like a child’s; he shall return to the days of his youth” (Job 33:25). Through the prophet Joel, the Lord says to those who have suffered loss, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten … and you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God” (Joel 2:25-26).
The point is that the Lord is good. If we flourish, He is good; if we suffer He is good. As it is written, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). But in all things, good and bad, He has our best interests in mind and, if we endure faithfully, there is a promise that we will not leave this world defeated. Our departure can and should be an exclamation point on a life that bears witness to His goodness, and that hopefully inspires others to proclaim, “Blessed the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me.”
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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