Earlier this week I paid a visit to an aged saint (he turns 93 next month). I hadn't seen him for quite some time, and there was a noticeable decline in his health. Though he lives in a rather large house, his living quarters have been reduced to one room on the first floor. He sleeps a lot and is nearly stone deaf. His mind is fading as well. He repeats things, often just a moment or two after he said them. Much of the time he doesn't talk at all - even when company is present - but simply dozes in his chair.
This man has been a Christian nearly all his life. He has a great heritage and has left behind a great legacy. I would tell you his name, but that's not important, for he represents a vast majority of men and women who have walked with the Lord for many, many years and have almost reached heaven's shore.
As I visited this dear friend the other day, I found it hard to get a conversation going. He seemed simply to want to sleep. The nurse came over and yelled (rather loudly) into his ear, "Mr. ______, Pastor Matt is here! What would you like to say to him?" He responded,
"I'm glad he's still in the faith."
Wow. So am I. That fact meant a lot to this man. He himself has been a dedicated servant of the Lord for many, many years - nearly all his life. Now he sat there dozing.
That was fine with me. I was content to sit there and thank God for this wonderful man and the godly influence he's had on my life over the last eleven years that I've known him. When my mom died back in 2000, this dear friend wrote to me one of the most meaningful handwritten letters I have ever received. I still have it. In it he spoke of the glory that awaits us in heaven, where we will dwell with our Savior and loved ones in Christ forever and ever. Now this dear brother is almost there himself. Soon he will be "absent from the body" and "at home with the Lord."
My friend has always loved the old hymns, so as he lay there dozing, I told him that we had concluded our Easter service by singing "Christ Arose." Though I don't have a great voice, I attempted for the sake of my friend to sing that first stanza nice and loud:
Low in the grave He lay - Jesus my Savior!
Waiting the coming day - Jesus my Lord!
I was just about to sing the chorus, when to my utter surprise, my dozing 93-year-old friend lifted his head, opened his eyes, and sang with more lung power than I could have imagined:
Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o'er His foes;
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!
I am not kidding when I say that his booming voice resonated throughout the entire house. The nurses were peering in through the glass doors. (They later said that at first they thought he was yelling at me!) What a joy it was to hear my friend sing with such "gusto" unto the Lord! I grinned from ear to ear and almost laughed from sheer joy.
Not wanting this musical exchange to end, I informed my friend that earlier in the Easter service, the children had sung:
He lives! He lives!
Christ Jesus lives today! . . .
At this point my friend joined in and sang:
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life's narrow way. . . .
Of course I continued with the words,
He lives! He lives!
Salvation to impart . . .
But instead of continuing these lyrics with me, my friend went back to booming out:
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!
Talk about an impromptu hymn medley! Now I did laugh. This was great!
Yet my friend no sooner finished the chorus and he lowered his head and began to slumber once again.
I just sat there looking at him with great love and admiration in my heart. After a few moments I decided that I should quietly slip away and allow him to rest. I was just about to do that when he lifted his head and said out of the blue:
"God is faithful."
Then he dozed a bit more. After a minute or so, he said it again:
"God is faithful."
Another pause followed by a new phrase:
"The fellowship of the saints."
Amen. Precious.
I hated to leave but knew I must. He needed his rest, and I needed to get home. Before I left, I asked him in a loud voice, "Mr. ________, do you have a favorite Bible verse?"
"Yes," he replied.
"What is it?" I asked.
Without hesitation he said,
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever."
I sat there letting the words sink in. Clearly there was a connection in what my aged friend had said throughout this conversation. Stringing it all together, I thought:
I'm glad he's still in the faith. . . .
God is faithful. . . .
God is faithful. . . .
The fellowship of the saints. . . .
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.
The lesson is clear: God is faithful; therefore let us be faithful. We are called to faithfulness. "Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful" (1 Cor. 4:2).
This man before me had not only said it; he himself has lived it. As I parted with a prayer, I thought, "Imitate his faith."
By God's grace, I will.