Day 7 Health

 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”  Gen 3:6

“If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.”  Ex ;15:26

That promise in Genesis that we should live till we are 120 is a bit scary isnt it?  Do you really fancy being that old?  Im not sure I do.   But I suppose if I could be a reasonably fit and healthy 120 yr old perhaps it would be OK.  If I lived that long it would mean that right now Im just about to reach middle age!

I have two friends who have  93 year old fathers.  One was still going to the gym 3 times a week until very recently.  The other is still able to walk up his stairs and both are totally mentally sharp and switched on.  They each have a few health niggles, but by and large they are doing really well.   Maybe I wouldn't mind being in my nineties if I could get there without major medical interventions and needing heaps of support.   But the likelihood is that over the next couple of decades my physical body will start to decline.   Hey! Who am I kidding? Its already in decline! 😊 

The promises of Scripture tell us that God wants us to live long and healthy lives.  

even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.  Is 43;4

With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.  Ps 91;16

The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green,  Ps 92 ;12-14

Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life. Prov 16;31

It would appear that if we live a righteous life then we will live long lives. This all sounds well and good until I stop to consider the 41 yr old dad of two from our church who dropped down dead three weeks ago.  Was he living an unrighteous life?  No. He wasnt.  The tributes at his funeral from friends, work colleagues. church and family members all testified to the fact that he was a godly, kind, selfless Jesus-loving young man.  And for some reason death decided to take him.   Thankfully Jesus took him back from death and took him to heaven. 

So my question today is this ( and Im asking myself but do feel free to provide answers if you have them)   How should we approach the ageing of our bodies and the physical realities of getting older?   A faith approach would tell us that God heals our diseases and that if we are living close to Him and following His commandments we will live long and prosper.  A health approach will tell us we need to increase our weight bearing exercise, get more sleep, eat more healthily, avoid ultra processed foods and be good stewards of our own bodies. A pragmatic approach might be to just accept the fact that none of us knows the day or the hour and to make the most of each minute.  Eat the cake. Dance in the rain.  Do the bungee jump.

My soul mate Gladys taught me a bit about all of this.  She definitely lived a righteous life.  She wasnt too concerned about ' being healthy' but she religiously followed some practices which she believed God had shown her (like never eating microwaved food - she was convinced the microwave was the tool of the devil.  She might well have been right. History will tell 😊)  She believed scripture and held fast to the promises therein .  I remember one time she had a fall and lay on her landing for hours until God told someone in her housegroup to pop in and see her and found her there.  She was a bit sore and shaken, but when I said that she was lucky she hadnt broken a bone she said ' Oh no, God's told me that not one of my bones will be broken.  Like Jesus'   And despite having a couple more falls, right enough, she never broke a bone.   Gladys lived a very simple and modest life.  She didnt have much but she thoroughly enjoyed what she did have.  She was very partial to a gin and tonic.  She embodied a positive and healthy attitude to getting old.  By the end of her life she was completely deaf, partially sighted,  very confused and barely mobile.  But she was full of love for Jesus, her family and friends and had a twinkle in her eye to the end. 

So to answer my own question I think my approach should be to listen to the Holy Spirit and do whatever He says in relation to my health. ( a few years ago He very clearly told me I needed more Magnesium.  So I take it in pill form and trust its doing me good)  I should try to look after my body as much as I can without denying myself all of the pleasures that God has set out in front of me to enjoy.  I should definitely live each day as though it were my last.  And I should not fear the days ahead but rather trust that the God who loves me will care for me as I get older and provide for all my needs as He always has done. 



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