Graybeard Wisdom: Stay The Course

Introduction

New Members: Jerry and Cathy Horton

Part Two of a reflection on —a psalm attributed to David, laid out as a string of proverbs arranged alphabetically in an acrostic, imparting “graybeard wisdom” (vs. 25). Last week: biblical wisdom on trusting rather than fretting—being “cool.”

Today, as we consider the psalm further, we’re going to get some long-run perspective.

Jr. High track meet, 400 meter dash (more like 400m long run!), outside lane, legs turned to spaghetti about 3/4 before the final 100, came in last!

Not just a track problem for me; it’s a life problem: short-sighted thinking.

The moment

preoccupied with the urgent things, neglecting the important (LRW - focus)

downcast (sulking) about the present, downplay the promise (LRW - hope)

choosing momentary gratification, foregoing lasting satisfaction (LRW - discipline)

Short-sighted thinking doesn’t steer a life well; we need the long-run perspective of godly wisdom. gives us just that—in more ways than we have time to cover this morning. But, I do want to highlight a few verses of long-run wisdom.

Eat Like a Pro

Any athlete will tell you that your diet matters. If you want to run like a pro, you’ve got to eat like a pro. Graybeard wisdom says the same about life:

Psalm 37:30–31 ESV

The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.

Psalm 37:

This is the picture of a pro—a person established in the ways of God, steady steps and and a mouth and tongue that speaks wisdom and justice. (The tongue being the hardest member of the body to tame.) Notice the three outward results of one inward reality: the law of his God is in his heart.

Luke 6:45 ESV

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Bernard of Clairvaux: “Let God’s word pierce deep in your inmost soul and penetrate your feelings and actions. Eat well and your soul will delight and grow. Do not forget to eat your bread or your heart will wither, but let your soul feast richly” (O Sacred Head)

Jesus said “out of the hear

Good living is the product of what the heart is fed.

Bernard of Clairvaux: “Let God’s word pierce deep in your inmost soul and penetrate your feelings and actions. Eat well and your soul will delight and grow. Do not forget to eat your bread or your heart will wither, but let your soul feast richly” (O Sacred Head)

Read Isa. 55:1-3

What are feeding your heart? A diet of...

anxiety-fueling news?

shiny things?

fantasy (romance or adventure)?

darkness (permissable vs. beneficial)?

gossip (feeling better by comparison)?

vain glory? (Dr. Elaine’s “B

The diet we need is Jesus (): his words and his ways, his joy, his love. I was reading a book this week about simply loving people like Jesus did… my eyes keep tearing up and the kids keep asking what I’m laughing about. Everything in me affirms that this (Jesus, and everything about him) is good food for life.

We need a diet of Jesus

Dr. Elaine’s billboard: “Beauty begins with great skin.” Does it? Beauty begins at the heart level. It has far more to do with what the heart cherishes than it does w/skin.

To live well, it won’t do merely to focus on externals: trying to walk steady and speak justly. We certainly do try, but we also must eat wisely: to nourish our heart.

But, sometimes a wise choice is a hard choice, right?

Psalm 37:16–17 ESV

Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.

Psalm 37:17

There is a constant contrast in this psalm between the righteous and the wicked. And we are continually presented with the long-view: God will judge in the end, justice and goodness will prevail. The righteous will be vindicated. The wicked… well, “his day is coming (). The point: Living to please God now has lasting promise for eternity, despite any appearance otherwise.

This little proverb within the psalm tells us the truth: choosing God’s way sometimes means you have less rather than more… for now. “Live like no one else so later you can live like no one else.” In other words, long-term satisfaction often means short-term contentment and restraint.

But it’s so hard to keep that perspective! Instant gratification is so appealing, and often seems harmless enough. Very often there seems to be no immediate consequence for wrong behaviour or right behavior.

Ely doesn’t like to eat vegetables. And I’m trying to give her long-run wisdom: “You have to eat vegetables to grow.” One day, not at the dinner table, I was having one of those moments when I realized how quickly the time is getting away from me—I won’t have a 6-yr-old forever! I said: “Oh Ely, don’t grow! Just stay like this forever!” She said: “Okay! I won’t eat to vegetables!”

You got to eat your veggies, right? Good nutrition means saying no to instant gratification, and yes to the things that hold lasting promise. That truth goes well beyond health and fitness.

Are your daily choices determined by what brings momentary gratification or future promise? Eat like pro.

focus

discipline

Get Up When You Fall

We have such a gracious God. He is not only gracious to us in our mess-ups, but it’s his grace that enables us to live the life he made us for.

Psalm 37:23–24 ESV

The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.

Psalm 37:

I love this. God is active in our walk. He does not merely demand a certain kind of living; he takes us by the hand and establishes our steps.

Every parent gets this picture: raising toddlers with their first taste of independence and growing confidence, trying to pull away from your grip to show you what they can do, only to take a tumble on the stairs and be caught in your grip and then encouraged to continue on.

Hebrews 4:15–16 ESV

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:

Grace to help - Life is full of stumbles. God is gracious; not only in the sense of forgiving, but in the sense of helping you on to the next step. … The Psalm goes on to say:

Psalm 37:27–28 ESV

Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.

Psalm 37:

When you stumble, get up—turn away from evil and do good. Long-run wisdom says, with God’s help, your going to get this… your steps are going to be steadied, established, and though you’re going to take some tumbles, you will not be forsaken by the Lord.

Stay The Course

The effect of reading this psalm encourages you to stay the course when it gets hard and seems unpromising. Don’t let short-sighted reasoning or momentary satisfaction steer your life; be steered by that vision God lays out for the future— your future.

Psalm 37:37 ESV

Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.

Psalm 37:

In 1952, Florence Chadwick, set out to swim the 20+ miles Catalina Island to the California coast. After 15 hrs 55 mins, in a thick fog and cold water, she gave up. Turned out she was only a half mile from the shore. “I do not want to make excuses for myself. I am the one who asked ot be pulled out. But I think that if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it. (Two months later, in a fog, she did.)

Philippians 3:17 ESV

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.

The shore to keep your eyes on is not only the promise of Scripture, but the lives of the faithful graybeards in the family God has given you.

Conclusion

promise

Don’t neglect the important for the urgent, or the lasting for the momentary, or the promises because of present failures. Eat what the faithful eat. Get up when you fall. Stay the course.