Fifty five years young!

Sunday morning 8am. Running down the west bank of the River Tejo. Sun streaming across the face of the water. Blood pumping through my veins. And I’m thinking.

Seventh of September. I’m 55 years old today. And I feel like 45. I mean, ten years ago, I doubt if I could have run this 5 km on a morning and not felt the pain of my lack of fitness. (mind you, I'm sometimes a bit out of puff and might need a bit of help in blowing out the candles!

And I give thanks to God. For energy, for strength, for health but more than that, for the realisation of His hand on our lives here in Lisbon.

There was another old man. In fact he was much older. And at the age of 85 he was at the end of a long journey. A journey that had taken him with his family and his people through rough terrain and wild wilderness for all of 45 years. And when he came to the end here's what he had to say

“Here I am 85 years old. God has kept me alive these 45 years, since He first spoke to me about this land. And I’m still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out. I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now then, give me this mountain that the Lord promised me that day”.

Caleb, son of Jephunneh it was. And it says of him in the Book of Joshua. That he had a different spirit than the others. This was in relation to believing that God was able to fulfil all the promises He had made to his people. Now I’m not as old as that. Not yet, anyway. But I pray that I might have that different spirit, that Spirit that believes, that knows God is a God who keeps His word. A spirit that hears what God is saying. And I reply to God. Give us this “mountain” I say. Give us this area of land where you have placed us and where you would have us work.

References : Joshua 14:6-15