Peter Fitch, St. Croix Vineyard Sunday, January 22, 2017 The Fountain of Youth Peter Fitch, St. Croix Vineyard Sunday, January 22, 2017

Human dilemma I spent my whole childhood wishing I were older and now I’m spending my adulthood wishing I were younger Ricky Schroder

Caleb in Joshua 14 10 Now behold, the Lord has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. 11 I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in. 12 Now then, give me this hill country about which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the Lord will be with me, and I will drive them out as the Lord has spoken.

Pretty impressive . . . Joshua and Caleb were the spies who believed that God could lead the Israelites into the Promised Land The other 10 spies were afraid and caused the people to fear Now, 45 years later, they both remain courageous Caleb feels as strong as he did when he was a young man What’s he smoking?!

Various legends exist about a Fountain of Youth Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1546

Apparently there’s one in Florida

There’s always one on TV . . .

I think there are some keys to a youthful bearing in the Bible I think there are some keys to a youthful bearing in the Bible . . . Psalm 103, Gratitude 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; 3 Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; 4 Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; 5 Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

Jeremiah 15 . . . Returning to God 19 Therefore, thus says the Lord, “If you return, then I will restore you— Before Me you will stand; And if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become My spokesman.

Hosea 2 . . . Experiencing suffering as an opportunity for the expansion of your soul 14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, Bring her into the wilderness And speak kindly to her. 15 “Then I will give her her vineyards from there, And the valley of Achor as a door of hope. And she will sing there as in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.

Isaiah 40 . . . Active waiting 29 He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. 30 Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, 31 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.

And Caleb Still going! Not being afraid to try new things Holding the future in open hands Choosing meaningful activity over inertia Following dreams rather than getting lost in them Telling war-stories with those that were there Exercising trust

Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie

Contentment: Priceless

A final word . . . St. Paul, 2 Corinthians 4 16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.