“For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.” (Romans 11:29 NLT)
“Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you…After Lot had departed, the LORD said to Abram, “Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are, and look to the north and south and east and west, for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. Get up and walk around the land, through its length and breadth, for I will give it to you…When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly…Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son! Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent. And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?” And the LORD asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really bear a child when I am old?’ Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son…Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised. And Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore to him. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him…Now Abraham had taken another wife, named Keturah, and she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah…Abraham lived a total of 175 years. And at a ripe old age he breathed his last and died, old and contented, and was gathered to his people.” (Genesis 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 17:1-2; 18:10-13; 21:1-5; 25:1; 25:7-8 BSB)
“But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31 BSB)
A year or two ago, on a Sunday morning at my home Church (Resurrection Life Church of Grandville, Michigan) our guest speaker (Dan Seaborn of Winning at Home) challenged us to replace the word “retire” with “refire.” The Holy Spirit burned that into my spirit so deeply that I adopted the name “Refire to Inspire International Ministries” for the ministry that the Lord has assigned me. Recently I started this blog, refiretoinspire.com, and a daily YouTube video, Refire & Inspire with Eric.
In our culture we work our whole lives with the goal of retirement. We tolerate our jobs long enough to get to the magic day in which we can say adios, and ride off into the sunset of being retired. If we did well financially we head to the golf course. If not, Walmart here comes another greeter.
As I see it, the whole concept of retirement is at best a deception, and at worst a scheme of the enemy to kill, steal, and destroy my life. This whole life view results in me chasing a “job” rather than a lifelong dream and “calling” (Kingdom assignment). It is the bigger version of living for the weekend. It creates within me the life expectancy of preparing for 18 to 25 years, working for about 40 years, retiring, and hopefully enjoying about 15 years before the curtain drops at about 80.
The Bible paints a very different picture. I like to refer to the longevity that is offered in scripture as “Life Expectancy: Kingdom Style” (sounds like a good book title to me). The promise of a long, strong life worth living with nothing missing or broken can be found in both the Old and New Testaments (covenants). There are many examples to choose from. For today, I am going to focus on the Father of my Faith, Abraham.
Most people are highly aware of Abraham’s call to be the father of many nations, and the promise of blessing that accompanied it. Most have been taught the account of the miraculous conception, and subsequent birth, of Isaac well beyond Abraham and Sarah’s natural ability to have a child. What I was never told in Sunday School, and have never heard a sermon proclaiming, is the life Abraham had with his second wife after the death of Sarah. As wild as it is to imagine the birth of Isaac, did you know that Abraham remarried at about the age of 130, and between 130 and 175 had 6 more kids? Now that is renewed youth!
When Abraham stepped out in faith and obedience to accept the Father’s late life assignment he not only received the ability to walk in a one time miracle, he received a miracle that lasted him a lifetime. His life was powerful and productive all the way to 175. Abraham aged without growing old. Now that is something worth believing for.
With the example of Abraham in mind read the Kingdom promises of Psalm 103:1-5:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (NKJV)
Like Abraham, the promises are for you! They are not just for you while you are young. They are even more powerful in your life when you advance in age. As you add years to your life, renewed youth becomes even more precious and powerful. Youth is a “Kingdom Benefit” that never gets old.
Whether you are 8 or 88, it is time to get in line with…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 151: “I am replacing Retirement with Refirement!” Part 1: Abraham