Your youth is renewed like the eagle. Psalm 103:5
Then let Him be gracious to him, and say, “Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom; Let his flesh become fresher than in youth, let him return to the days of his youthful vigor.” Job 33:24-25.
If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned. John15:6.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God says:
David reminded himself of My benefits so he would not forget them and neglect to have them. Paul had a similar thought about the gift of grace in Jesus, “The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not ignore or nullify the gift of the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly. His suffering and death would have had no purpose whatsoever.” Galatians 2:20-21. He said he did not receive My grace in vain but became very fruitful because of what it worked in him.
Today we continue our series “Forget not ALL His Benefits” with Life Lesson No. 6: “Your youth is renewed like the eagle.” If you notice, this is listed differently from the others, it is the crown of them, the result of receiving all of the benefits listed before it in Psalm 103. “He pardons all your iniquities, He heals all your diseases; He redeems your life from the pit, He crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; He satisfies your years with good things, your youth is renewed like the eagle.” When you are established in righteousness you are far from oppression and terror.
When you KNOW that ALL your sins and iniquities are forgiven and gone, that all your ills are healed, that you are redeemed from the pit, that you are surrounded and crowned with lovingkindness and compassion, and that I richly adorn your life with good, then your youth is renewed like the eagle. Your youthful vigor is unabated. But let us go deeper into this, because many believers are withering up in old age with their minds and senses dimmed and their bodies weak and sickly. Why when this is available? And this is not the only Scripture in which I promise youthful vigor, renewal, restoration, and a long satisfying life, indeed, there are many and there are many instructions on how to receive this blessing.
There are several keys here that you need to know to open the door to renewal of youth, but basically it has to do with three things: vision, purpose, and fruitfulness, and all of these are through faith working by love.
Consider Joshua and Caleb as compared to their fellow Israelites. Joshua and Caleb experienced dramatic renewal of youth while the others prematurely aged and died out. Time seemed to stand still as to the aging process with them until they reached full fruitfulness and accomplished the work I gave them to do, but with the myriads of others in their company this was not so. What was the difference? Joshua and Caleb looked at the beauty and abundance in the land I had promised them and had the vision and the purpose to take the land because they believed and trusted My promises to them that gave them hope. By My favor, strength and supply they believed they were well able to take down the giants there and receive the cities, homes, vineyards, and wells freely as their own that the giants of the land had built, cultivated and dug. The other Israelites did not share this vision and hope, they saw themselves as unable to perform what I had promised and chose instead to doubt and give up on My Word as not true, as nothing they could trust. They lost all vision and purpose and went out to wander idly in the desert, complaining, grumbling, blaming Me and Moses, and speaking against the vision that Joshua and Caleb had before the eyes of their hearts. They lost their purpose and heir fruitfulness. They were just cluttering up the ground. Without vision and purpose they let go of restraint and many of them sinned against one another and broke My commands. They were not even grateful for the manna, they said they despised that wretched food and yet it sustained them, kept them in perfect health, and came to them without labor for over forty years without fail. They had no joy because they did not allow themselves that option. They stopped looking at Me and only looked at their own weakness and inadequacy. And yet they had started out singing with joy when I parted the Red Sea and drowned the pursuing army that would have defeated them completely. They had turned their eyes to Me and called Me their strength and their song. I tried to get them back to that place of joyful singing after they had refused to enter the land I promised to give them, but they went into a lifestyle of bitter complaining about everything going on, including the manna, until snakes came in their camp and bit them, but they cried out to Me and I healed them with a shadow of what Jesus would do for you on the Cross when you behold Him. But after that, to get them water, I told them to sing to the well that was lying dormant under the ground, and when they sang, the well sprang forth with abundant flowing water for them all. They had to sing to it. With joy you shall draw water from the springs of salvation. No joy means you have no vision, purpose or fruitfulness. It means you have lost faith in the future and the hope I gave you.
And they had to stop cluttering the ground and stopping others fruitfulness, so I took them out of the way. I pruned the vineyard and the next generation got the vision and the purpose and became fruitful. But who led them and gave them that vision and purpose? Yes, My visionaries, Joshua and Caleb. And they were as young and strong as they had been forty-five years before when the others lost their vision, they kept theirs alive all those years and they kindled it in the hearts of the next generation. They became a fruitful nation. And they lived long youthful vigorous lives. With long life I satisfied them and showed them My salvation. But when Joshua and all those that entered the land I promised them under him died out, a new generation arose that knew not Joshua and they lost the vision and the purpose and there was no restraint, sin took over, lawlessness broke out, and the people perished. It was that dark period of the judges, although once in a while one of them, like Deborah and Gideon, would draw close to Me and again get vision and purpose and lead the people with them to a time of light and victory, but when they were gone, the vision was lost again. Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint and will perish. Proverbs 29:18.
They lost My Word and each just did what he felt was right. Sound familiar?
If you have no vision or purpose you will age rapidly. You will have no desire to live long. “who is the one who desires life and loves length of days that he may see good?” Psalm 34:12. Vision. A vision of good things to come. And a purpose to accomplish the plans I have set before you, a life of good deeds, a fruitful life, that I prepared for you in advance that you might walk in it. Ephesians 2:10.
My Son told you that He is the vine and you are the branches and I am the vinedresser. When you abide in Him and His Words abide in you, then you bear MUCH fruit and your fruit will endure. And His Word cleanses and purges you so you bear more fruit. But He warned you that, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away;” and “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned.” John15:1-6. Unfruitful lives wither and perish. Their youth is not renewed but dries up. Why? If there is no sap flowing into the branch it withers and dies. And what is the sap that flows from the vine to the branches that produces the fruit of which My Son is speaking? The Holy Spirit, My own divine and eternal life in you, the fountain of living waters that keeps bubbling up in you to eternal life. “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11.
A Spirit-filled heart is a joyful heart and it does good in your body like a medicine for My joy is your strength. No joy, no strength. No faith, no strength. In Psalm 23 as the Good Shepherd leads you to healing waters of renewal and rest to restore your soul, I use the word “nahal” for lead, which means to lead to a watering place (the living water of the Spirit bubbling up in you like a fountain of renewal), but it is from an ancient root word that means to run with a sparkle. Do you run the race of your life with a sparkle? My Word is a light to your path and a lamp to your feet. Good news strengthens your bones but a depressed spirit dries up the bones.
I showed this to My prophet Ezekiel in the vision of the dry bones that represented the house of Israel who at that time had lost vision, purpose and hope. They had left Me for other gods and become as wicked, unfruitful and idle as their idols. They became an oppressed and defeated people, wishing for death. But what did I tell Ezekiel to do to bring them back to youthful vigor? “The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord LORD, You know.” Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.’ Thus says the Lord (Adonai) LORD (YHWH) to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause Spirit to enter you that you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put Spirit in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.’ So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the Spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the Spirit, ‘Thus says the Lord LORD, “Come from the four winds, O Spirit, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.’ So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the Spirit came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.” Ezekiel 37:1-10.
And then I explained the vision to him, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’” And there you see a big part of the problem, it is in what they were saying about themselves, but I gave them new words to say. “Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord LORD, “Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it,” declares the LORD.’” Ezekiel 37:11-14. Words of life and renewal. Never say how you are failing, never say you are losing your mind, never say you are weak. Let the weak say “I am strong (a mighty hero).” Say you have the mind of Christ, for you do. 1 Corinthians 2:16. And say you have the victory for in Christ Jesus you do. Watch your words if you want your youth renewed.
No vision, no purpose, and no hope makes for no fruitfulness, makes for evil behavior without restraint, such as excessive alcohol abuse, drug abuse, sexual abuse, pornography—”eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.” But with that attitude you cannot be merry but only in fear of the death that seems the only way to end your unfruitful life. I blessed you from the beginning to be fruitful and replenish the earth, to plant Heaven on earth, and until you are doing what you were created to do in partnership with Me, who am love, light and life, you will not be happy. Unfruitful people with no vision and no purpose have nothing to live for and nothing to die for.
If you stand idle in the market place all day, you will age very quickly and your lamp will burn very low until it dies out. Fan it into flame by going into My vineyard no matter how late in the day it is. There is still time left before My Son returns. Dorcas was so full of fruitful good works that Peter raised her from the dead to continue them. That is youth renewal for sure.
Do you remember the parable of the unfruitful fig tree My Son told you? It actually has to do with renewal of youth. “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’” Luke 13:6-9. Take this to heart. Be careful about living hateful, bitter, revengeful, offended, and ornery lives. You are cluttering up the ground and choking off others fruit.
Have you never read Psalm 92? It is about renewal of youth, even in OLD age. “The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green, to declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” Psalm 92:12-15. And it has much to do with joyful praise, the voice of thanksgiving, “To grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3.
And in the book of Job, I give you a secret about renewing your youth. The devil, through Adam, tricked and trapped you into the snare of sin and death. And a huge price was owed to Me for the eternal life that you destroyed despite My warnings. You owed a ransom to Me of an eternal life for the eternal life you lost, and none of you were able to pay. But Jesus told you that He came not to be served but to serve and give His eternal life as a ransom for you. I have found a ransom for you and you would be wise to find Him too. And what does that mean? “Then let Him be gracious to him, and say, “Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom; let his flesh become fresher than in youth, let him return to the days of his youthful vigor.” Job 33:24-25.
“Fools, because of their rebellious way, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all kinds of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men! Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of His works with joyful singing.” Psalm 107-29-22.
Make yourself a vessel of honor, useful to the master so that you will live long and live strong. A trophy of My grace.
And one of the best ways to restore and renew is to rest in My love for you. Let Me pour My love in your heart by the gift of the Holy Spirit. You know that babies without love die. A life without love is not worth living. Why? Because you came out of Me, I breathed into you on the day I formed you, and I am love. You cannot live outside of love any more than a fish can live out of the water from which he came. You thrive in the medium in which you were created.
Put your roots down deep in Me and you will be full of sap and very green. And how do you do that? “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3. My Word is what made you, sustains you, restores you, and renews you. You will find people who abide in My Words and are doers thereof stay young. “Although Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated.” Deuteronomy 34:7. And you know, he spent most of his days and nights in My Word. He wrote the first five books of the Bible by spiritual download from Me. My Word made him radiant. And it will do the same for you. “O LORD, let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.”
I love you. I am the lifter of your countenance. Come to Me and I will renew, restore, and refresh you. Remember the keys to living young and strong for length of days are these three: vision, purpose and fruitfulness. “For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.” 2 Peter 1:9. “Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” Isaiah 40:31.