Just because you move a little slower is no reason give up and abandon life.

I had an old Ford car that gave me 209,000 miles of its valuable time.

Sure, it had nicks and dents and wrinkles, of its own before it died, but it got me where I was going. (And I helped a lot of people when I got there ... each time.)

Did I ever hear it spit and sputter? Did it ever fail to start on a cold day? Did I have to take it to the hospital now and then? Did it ever cost me some time and attention to keep it going? Does a frog croak?

Does a bird fly? Sure, I had lots of problems with that old car. But it had a lot of wisdom and experience tucked under it's belt.

Other people were making big payments on their nice young cars, but I was debt free and had peace of mind.

Have you ever squeezed a little more toothpaste out of the tube? Have you ever scraped the mayonnaise jar clean with a spatula?

Well, you aren't even that close to empty and gone. So why don't you let God get a little more value out of your mind, your life and your day?

Samson used the old, dead, jawbone of a donkey to win a victory for God's people, and you are still alive? Get it?

Let God use you!

I wrote this article several years ago -- and never published it. I now have a mental urgency that says someone out there needs this message --- NOW! Our prayers go ahead of the mail!

THE POWER AND POTENTIAL IN OLD AGE

WRINKLES- a small ridge or furrow formed on a surface by the

SHRINKING OR CONTRACTION OF A SMOOTH SURFACE.

Jesus said He was coming back for a church without spot OR WRINKLE. But, since he is not coming back for a "FLESH AND BLOOD" kingdom...it is allowable and acceptable to have wrinkled flesh.

Jesus is not concerned about the shrinking of your flesh. But He is concerned about the "shrinking back" which comes from doubt and unbelief. The scripture says, "My soul shall have no pleasure in him who "draws back".

When our mind suffers from the "contractions of worry" we are developing brain wrinkles. The will of God for anyone is that they should "TRUST HIM". When we allow ourselves to draw back from trusting ... just because our bodies are decaying ... we fail to fill out the full measure of our life and faith.

Learn a Lesson From

The Lowly Pecan

While the outer green hull of the pecan is growing brown, brittle and then black... the meat of the pecan is growing in richness of life. When the outer hull begins to shrivel and contract and draw away from the inner hull ... the meat of the pecan is growing and filling out more and more. When the inner hull stops growing and begins to harden and become more unyielding ... the meat of the pecan is PRESSING IT'S WAY TO THE VERY LIMITS OF IT'S POTENTIAL GROWTH.

The pecans which have an inner meat which shriveled up instead of growing is an unacceptable pecan. The pecan with the meat which drew back from fulfilling it's greatest potential is an unacceptable pecan. No matter what the outside hulls do ... the pecan is judged by what has happened deep inside.

INFIRMITIES INITIATE INSPIRATION

You may have crippling arthritis ... but is that any reason to allow your spirit to become crippled also? God doesn't honor age. He HONORS FAITH! He doesn't even honor prayer. He honors faith. The prayers of the heathen which arise without faith are not honored by God. Is there anything in the Word that says "after the age of 55 a man's faith must diminish"? No. No. No.

The Word says, "WITHOUT FAITH, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD"! It doesn't say, without youthful looks, a strong voice, perfect limbs and social acceptance".

Your ears may be bad, but God can speak to totally deaf people. It is our spirits which are receptive to the voice of God.

There was a time when I was in great pain. I couldn’t sleep. I turned from side to side trying to get some relief. But I had been prayed for that night and my spirit had been awakened and stimulated. I remember rolling back and forth while I kept repeating. "Though my body suffers, yet my spirit rejoices!" And It was true. Whether God healed me and took away the pain or not...I was determined to TRUST HIM and rejoice in the knowledge of His goodness. My spirit was in tune with Him. I was refusing to draw back into the wrinkle of self-pity or bitterness against God. I didn’t create the body. I don’t know why God allows continued pain. I don’t know why He invented old age and its problems. But, I love Him and trust Him.

THE NURSING HOME STORY

I went to a nursing home every week for a year. I met a 42 year old woman who was paralyzed from the neck down. She couldn't talk and couldn't do a solitary thing for herself. She had been in there for 2 years. Imagine the time and opportunity she had to feel sorry for herself.

One day I began to tell her that her spirit was not paralyzed. Maybe she

couldn't offer verbal prayers to God ... but she could think them... and she could desire them. I challenged her to begin strongly desiring the salvation of her husband and children. God promised to give us the desires of our heart, if we would only begin to delight ourselves in Him. He is a spirit and if we worship Him in our spirit, even though we can’t get our bodies to church, He will value and honor that.

I heard the story of one old woman who prayed for a certain island for years. After she died, a revival swept through the island and hundreds of people were saved. Her body weakened while her faith was strengthened. Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she expressed compassion for those who had never known the true and living God. She obtained a great reward for her faith.

NOW IS THE BEGINNING

We can have a fruitfulness in old age. God has never honored flesh. He honors faith. Young men trust in their physical health. Pretty people trust in their looks. Wise men trust in their knowledge and gifted people trust in their gifts. But ... old people TRUST IN THEIR GOD! Hallelujah!

Their God has never lost His health, strength, wisdom, power or ability to produce fruit in the earth. The eyes of the Lord go throughout the whole earth, seeking to show THEMSELVES STRONG on behalf of those who hearts are perfect toward God. They are not looking for perfect limbs, perfect speech or perfect appearance. They are commanded to USE THEIR STRENGTH to answer the desires, faith and prayers of those who love God with all their heart and trust in Him in all circumstances.

From a bed of affliction ... faith can activate a power greater than that which is generated by Niagara Falls. Believe it. Draw near to God. He will draw near to you. Tell Him you want your later years to be the most fruitful and productive years of your whole life. Keep after Him and HE WILL SHOW YOU HOW IT CAN BE DONE. Amen!