Living long with a loving Lord...
By Henry Cloud, Crystal Cathedral Guest Speaker
"I will be your God throughout your lifetime - until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you."
My father, when he was 40 years old, almost dropped dead in a theater. He was very overweight. He had started a company, had gotten quite busy, and the stress was so great, he passed out. They took him to the hospital, where the doctor said, "It's your heart and you have about six months to live. Get your affairs in order."
My dad went from there to another hospital where they studied his heart for about a month. Eventually, they came to him and said, "Nothing's wrong with your heart, but you are going to die if you don't change your life practices." They warned him, "You have to get rid of this stress." After that, my dad changed.
One of the most important changes that Dad made was to make a deeper commitment to his faith. Every day when he would come home from the office, he would sit in his chair and pray, "God, all of this stuff I'm doing and worried about, I'm going to give it to You." At 5:30 p.m. on that day and the days to follow, he would put it all into the lap of God. Then, each day, he would also read something from the scriptures reassuring him about God's provision. From that point on, he walked with the Lord every day.
A few years ago, we buried my dad at 94 years of age.
(An excerpt from a recent message on the "Hour of Power.")
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for carrying me and caring for me. Thank you for strengthening me at every age. Encourage me, as I grow older, to continue to find my rest in you. Amen.
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