A newborn learns, a child discovers and an adult begins to understand. But, an elderly person has learned from a lifetime of experience to apply wisdom to their acquired knowledge. Today, we, as a culture, ignore the senior citizens- they are as out-of-touch as this dog with only a stick for a toy. Unless someone is tech-savvy, they are deemed irrelevant, and unworthy of attention. What a waste!!! And this concept of irrelevancy has been carried over to morality as well. Just look at the breakdown of the family, the foul language, and the tendency to violence that pervades society! Where does all this come from? Why is this happening? Consider the words of God through the prophet Jeremiah....
Jeremiah, Chapter 6 (WEB)
10 To whom shall I speak and testify, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they can’t listen. Behold, Yahweh’s word has become a reproach to them. They have no delight in it. 11 Therefore I am full of the wrath of Yahweh. I am weary with holding in.
“Pour it out on the children in the street,
and on the assembly of young men together;
for even the husband with the wife shall be taken,
the aged with him who is full of days.
their fields and their wives together;
for I will stretch out my hand on the inhabitants of the land, says Yahweh.”
and from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely.
saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ when there is no peace.
No, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
at the time that I visit them, they shall be cast down,” says Yahweh.
16 Thus says Yahweh, “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, ‘Where is the good way?’ and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ 17 I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen!’ 18 Therefore hear, you nations, and know, congregation, what is among them. 19 Hear, earth! Behold, I will bring evil on this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not listened to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it.
If this country will not listen to the wisdom of its elders, founding fathers and most of all, God; then what hope remains? I know of none!! I am convinced of the validity of verse 16 above because over six decades I have seen countless examples of changed lives because of the word of God. Will you listen or reject God's call for you to live a "good way"? Do you even want "rest for your souls"?
and then there are the words of Jesus...
Matthew, Chapter 13 (WEB)
1 On that day Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the seaside. 2 Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat, and sat, and all the multitude stood on the beach. 3 He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, a farmer went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn’t have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth. 6 When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away. 7 Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
18 “Hear, then, the parable of the farmer. 19 When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside. 20 What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word, and understands it, who most certainly bears fruit, and produces, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.”
When God's word is proclaimed, how do you hear it? With intellect, feeling and a life of experience to guide you. If other things get in the way, you may in fact become like those of Jeremiah's time who rejected God and his message. The word Jesus spoke of is an eternal word; it has not and will never change. If received with a good heart, a keen intellect and a submissive life, it will germinate into a GOOD LIFE NOW AND AN EVEN BETTER ONE IN ETERNITY!!!
Question: If you had one stick and it worked; why would you ever want something else????