The Lord Formed a Man From Dust

My wife is in North Carolina this week taking care of her mother, who is 97 years old and now living in a nursing home. She fell and broke her hip some three months ago. As a result, her life has changed immensely. She now needs someone to give her medicine. She needs someone to fix meals for her. She needs help to get up during the night. Her world has changed dramatically.

This Saturday I’m going to a funeral for a man who died working in his yard. He was only 57 years old. His world changed instantly. Jesus stepped into our fallen world and cares for each of us as we experience the liabilities of human existence. (Psalm 103:13) In Psalm 103:14, David wrote, “He knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” In Genesis 2:7 we read, “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

Welcome to the realities of earthly living. We all get older every day, and changes come with that. Sometimes these changes are minor and other times, they are major. We need to be reminded that we are never left alone. God demonstrated His love for us when He sent His one-and-only Son to come to our earth and live with us. Jesus is with us when we are young and when we are old. He is with us when we can run a mile or have to use a walker to walk. Jesus came to earth to show us that He provides forgiveness for all people.

Whatever stage of life you are in, God has compassion for you. No matter your age or physical condition, you can trust God and His Son Jesus.

Prayer – Father, I often feel my age and my limitations. Help me to be strong in faith and to always trust in You. Amen.

Psalm 103:14 – “He remembers that we are dust.”

By the Rev. Tommy Herndon
Images: Herbert Goetsch, The Good Funeral & Dominik Lange, courtesy of Unsplash