“Earth Suit” by Dave Bessey

We come into this realm in a suit. A Earth suit made of skin and bones. It was designed to help us survive the extremes of this planet. For the most part it does real well. But it has built in obsolescence. It can last generally from 0-75 or 80 years or more. Sometimes even longer or shorter.

As I was doing some lifting of weights tonight I noticed a change in my strength and elasticity of my skin. I am getting wrinkles in weird places. Even my arms are wrinkling up. Then it is my eyes, always blurry, with or without glasses. White hair stained teeth, wrinkling spotted skin, pain in every joint, and numb legs and toes.

Each day seems shorter and shorter, blurring into weeks, months and years. 20 years here have gone by in a snap!

Now what? What do I do now Lord? I feel half the man I was before.

Isaiah‬ ‭46‬:‭4‬ ‭WEBUS‬‬

“Even to your old age I am He, and even to your gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear. Yes, I will carry, and will deliver and rescue you.”

Psalms‬ ‭71‬:‭1-24‬ ‭LEB‬‬

“In you, O Yahweh, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me. Be for me a rock of refuge to resort to always; you have ordained to save me, because you are my rock and my fortress. My God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the evildoer and the oppressor, because you are my hope, O Lord Yahweh, my confidence from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from birth. It was you who took me from the womb of my mother. My praise is of you continually. I have become a wonder to many, but you are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with your praise, with your glory all the day. Do not cast me away in the time of old age; when my strength fails do not abandon me. For my enemies talk concerning me, and those who watch for my life conspire together, saying, “His God has abandoned him. Pursue and seize him, because there is no deliverer.” O God, do not be far from me. My God, hurry to help me. Let them be ashamed; let them perish who are my adversaries. Let them wrap themselves with scorn and disgrace who seek my harm. But as for me, I will hope continually and increase your praise. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, your salvation all day long, though I do not know the full sum of them. I will come in to tell the mighty deeds of Lord Yahweh. I will make known your righteousness, yours only. O God, you have taught me from my youth, and up to now I have proclaimed your wonderful deeds. And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not abandon me until I proclaim your strength to this generation, your power to every one that comes after. And your righteousness, O God, is to the height of heaven. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? You who have caused me to see many troubles and evils, you will again revive me. And from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my greatness, and you will comfort me all around. On my part, I will praise you with a stringed instrument, and your faithfulness, O my God. I will sing praises to you with a lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will sing for joy when I sing praises to you, and my soul, which you have redeemed. My tongue also will speak of your righteousness all the day, because they have been put to shame, because they have been humiliated who seek my harm.”

Psalms‬ ‭90‬:‭12‬-‭17‬ ‭LEB‬‬

“So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Return, O Yahweh. How long? And have compassion on your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with your loyal love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen calamity. Let your work be visible to your servants, and your majesty to their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish for us the work of our hands, yes, the work of our hands, establish it.”