The secret to youth no one is talking about.
You probably see a lot of advertisements making promises that seem too good to be true, right?
However...
What I am about to share is not a sly way to get you to buy into a 10 step program with three easy payments of $19.99.
It's a promise given to us in scripture. The secret to renewed youth is found in Psalm 103 written by King David.
“Bless the Lord, my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget any of His benefits; who pardons all your guilt, who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with favor and compassion; who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.”
2nd Samuel 12:20 leads us to believe that he wrote this after a time of fasting and prayer for the life of a child he conceived through scandalous means involving lust, murder, and most likely rape.
Sadly, the child did not live.
However, following the death of his child, scripture says that David cleaned himself up, went to the house of the Lord, and worshipped.
So, what does this mean for us?
Well, I believe the secret to renewal is blessing the Lord and remembering the good things he does for us.
We may see blessing the Lord as an offering of verbal praise but the Hebrew words involve action.
The word "bless" means to kneel or bow before him. It's an act that involves your whole being. It's your body, soul, and spirit submitted to the Lord despite your circumstances.
Some kings require you to bow for mercy, but we bow before King Jesus because of his mercy.
It's one of the benefits of belonging to him.
He is determined to give us what we don't deserve before we recognize that we even need it.
He pardons, he heals, he redeems, and he bestows blessings upon us.
His goodness goes on for years and all of these remembrances renew us to a place of youthfulness that is likened to the molting process of a young eagle.
At about age five, the eagle, although able to fly, goes through a process of losing its feathers. It begins to look sickly and weak, but eventually grows new feathers giving it more beauty and strength than ever before. Now it can soar to new heights and fly with increased stamina, allowing for a new perspective it never had before.
There are things we experience in life that force us to go through a similar process, but this is the King we serve:
"To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory."
—Isaiah 61:3
Maybe your despair is strong today.
Perhaps you have come through a season of trial. You may even be in a high place of victory, but all of these are an opportunity to take a moment to bow before the Lord.
When we do this, he brings our whole being into a state of renewed strength allowing us to gain a new perspective of the kind of king we serve.
Blessings,
Dean