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A Comforting Exhortation for the Aged Saints of the Church Preached @ Gethsemane Seniors’ Ministry Meeting

Dearly beloved seniors, 

When we can no longer keep pace with the world, we may begin to wonder whether we are still of any value. Yet before God, worth is never measured by speed or relevance. A life lived in faith, prayer, and quiet trust remains deeply precious to Him, and is often most fruitful when it is suffused with the Lord’s gentle, loving presence. There is a quiet, sacred glory in old age when it is lived in close fellowship with God. 

One of the most comforting and deeply assuring thoughts in old age is this: The LORD is my Shepherd. When strength declines, and the path grows quieter, it is a profound peace to know that our care does not rest in our own hands, but in His.

The LORD is Your Shepherd, Even Now

There is hardly a more comforting image than this tender Scriptural depiction of our God: “The LORD is my shepherd”. Not was. Not will be. He is right now our Shepherd. This present-tense confession anchors the ageing believer in unchanging truth. 

The Shepherd of your youth has neither retired nor stepped away from His care for you in your old age. Time has not diminished His watchful care for you. The One who led you through valleys and carried you through storms, does not grow weary with passing years. 

Though age weakened the body and slowed the step, it does not lessen His vigilance over you. He still guides, still provides, still carries, especially when strength fails. In old age, this promise becomes not smaller, but sweeter.

The LORD, Your Shepherd, Knows You Personally

Jesus has said, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep” (John 10:14). When Jesus says, “I… know my sheep”, He speaks of a deep, personal knowledge, not a distant, vague awareness of all His people. He knows their names, their weaknesses, their fears, and their needs. This knowing is relational and loving, marked by care, commitment, and presence. 

In old age, the Lord, our Shepherd, knows us. He knows which sheep limps, which sheep is anxious, which sheep lags behind, and which sheep needs to be carried. He knows your history, your regrets, your losses, your secret fears, and your longstanding obedience. You are not one face among many to Christ. You may forget the names of your dear ones. You may forget dates. You may even forget the good words of the Lord. 

But Christ will never forget you, not once. “Can a woman forget her sucking child…? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee” (Isaiah 49:15). Old age does not make you less known—it makes you more tenderly watched. In Isaiah 46:4, the LORD declares, “And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.”

The LORD, Your Shepherd, Gently Carries the Weak

“He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom” (Isaiah 40:11). Here, Scripture does not hide the fact that God’s people grow weak, but it assures us that He does not leave them alone in their frailty. Instead, with gentleness of heart, the Shepherd gathers those who cannot walk on their own, carries them close to His heart, and leads with patience those who are tired and burdened. Isn’t it comforting to know that our weakness does not drive Him away but moves His tender heart to care for us?

There comes a season when walking is slower, reading the Word and praying feel harder as strength fails. But this is not a failure of faith; it is a calling to rest more deeply in the Shepherd’s arms. The LORD reminds us, “And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you” (Isaiah 46:4). As we grow older, God gently leads us away from self-reliance into fuller trust. Once, we longed for independence to do whatever we pleased in our own strength. But in old age, we are gently taught to live more and more by depending on God, trusting His wisdom, His timing, and His sustaining grace. 

Instead of rejuvenating us back to our youthful vigour and strength, He gently teaches us to rejoice in His grace that is sufficient by affirming, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Thus we are taught to say like Paul, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Cor. 12:9). He teaches us through our declining health to rely wholly on the Lord and find our contentment and spiritual strength. Just as Paul wrote, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). 

If Christ carried your sins to the cross at the cost of His own life, He will surely carry you through old age with unfailing care. The Saviour who bore your guilt will not abandon you in your bodily weakness. His redeeming love guarantees His sustaining presence all the way.

The LORD, the Shepherd, Never Abandons His Sheep

The LORD has repeatedly assured in the Scriptures, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). In Isaiah 41:10, the LORD says, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God”.

His assurance of His presence helps us face and overcome loneliness, one of the sharpest trials of ageing. As years pass, friends are taken from us, and sometimes even a beloved spouse. Children may move far away, and in some cases, even familiar places change. Yet the Lord remains near, unchanged and faithful, and His abiding presence becomes a deep and steady comfort to the ageing heart.

The LORD, our Shepherd, does not retire from our side. He does not seek to delegate your care. He does not walk away when the night grows long. As David testified, we can assuredly say, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me” (Psalm 23:4).

When He is with us, even death becomes only a shadow. His presence robs our last enemy of its power, for a shadow cannot harm those who stand with Christ. With this confidence, we can ask, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).

“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep” (Hebrews 13:20) has committed us to His unending care. The Lord Jesus said, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28). The Shepherd who walked ahead of us into death and triumphed over the grave will walk with you safely through it.

Conclusion

And when your voice grows weak,
when your steps falter,
and when the final valley comes –
You will hear Him say,
“Fear not. I am here. Follow Me.”
And He will lead you home.

Age may lessen outward strength, but it often deepens inward grace – “though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16). Therefore, continue to cling to the LORD, our Shepherd, through this final season.

Sermon Text: Psalms 123 & 124
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 1st February 2026

Nehemiah 6:9—“For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.”

Nehemiah utters those words at a critical moment in the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls. The work is nearing completion, and opposition intensifies. Having failed to stop the building of the wall through ridicule, deception, and false accusations, Nehemiah’s enemies now resort to intimidation as their final tactic. Their aim is clear: to instil fear so that “their hands shall be weakened from the work.” If fear succeeds, it would achieve what outward opposition could not, bringing God’s work to a standstill from within.

Fear is often used as a weapon to weaken God’s people and oppose His work. The enemy understands that discouraged hearts lead to weakened hands. God’s work is often hindered not by lack of resources but by inward fear that saps courage and resolve. Nehemiah recognises this danger and does not respond with counter-threats or self-confidence. Instead, he turns immediately to God in prayer: “Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.” This brief prayer reflects the profound truth that strength for God’s work must come from God Himself.

Nehemiah’s response offers a model for believers facing opposition, pressure, or weariness. He does not deny the reality of fear, nor does he allow it to govern his actions. He brings it before God. By asking God to “strengthen my hands,” Nehemiah acknowledges that perseverance in God’s work comes only through God’s sustaining grace.

Nehemiah’s prayer is simple, urgent, and faith-filled. He does not seek to escape the strain and struggle of the work of God, but for a divine supply of strength to continue the work.

When opposition aims to unsettle and discourage us in God’s work, withdrawal is not an option; the path forward lies in prayerful dependence on God. He delights to strengthen weary hands and steady trembling hearts, enabling His servants to persevere until His work is finished.

Mark 9:24—“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

We have just read one of the most honest cries of faith found in Scripture, spoken in a moment of deep need and distress. The scene unfolds at the foot of the Mount of Transfiguration, where the radiant glory revealed atop is followed by human weakness and a desperate cry for deliverance. The disciples have failed to cast out a demon, the scribes are disputing, and a desperate father stands helpless before Jesus with his child afflicted by an evil spirit. In the midst of confusion and disappointment, Jesus exposes the true issue, not the power of the demon, but the struggle of faith in the human heart.

The father’s cry is both a confession and a prayer: “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” He admitted that his belief in Jesus’ power was real, yet imperfect and fragile. The man does not deny his belief, nor does he conceal his doubt. He brings both honestly before Christ. True faith is not the absence of struggle, but the act of bringing our struggle to Jesus. The father believes enough to come to Christ, yet he knows his faith is fragile and in need of divine help.

Believers who feel ashamed of wavering faith can be comforted and guided by this story. Jesus does not reject the man for imperfect belief; instead, He responds with compassion and power. The father’s tears reveal humility, dependence, and sincerity, qualities Christ welcomes. This episode teaches us that faith cannot be self-sustained. We need the Lord Himself to uphold and strengthen our faith in times of weakness.

Christ meets us not at the level of perfect faith, but at the point of honest dependence. When faith falters, the right response is not silence or despair, but a humble cry to the Lord who alone can strengthen what is weak and restore confidence in His matchless saving power.

Hosea 10:12—“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it istime to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.”

Hosea puts forward a prophetic call in a context of spiritual hardness. Israel had become outwardly religious but inwardly resistant to God, trusting in idols and human strength rather than in the LORD. The land imagery reflects the true condition of their hearts—cultivated for self-interest, yet barren toward righteousness. Into this condition, God speaks with both urgency and hope.

The verse brings together human responsibility and divine grace. The commands, “sow… reap… break up”, address God’s people directly. “Sow to yourselves in righteousness” calls for a life ordered by obedience and faithfulness. “Reap in mercy” reminds us that the harvest is not an earned blessing, but grace generously given by God. Righteous living is not a means of self-salvation, but the proper response to a merciful God.

The image of fallow ground is especially telling and instructive. Fallow ground is that which has been left untilled for a lengthy period, so that work on it must start from scratch again. It represents untilled, unused, hardened, and seed-resistant field. Spiritually, this speaks of hearts that have become like stubborn weeds, deeply embedded in the soil and hard to remove. Yet this was the work set before them. Only through thorough and even painful effort could the ground be cleared, made ready again for healthy growth and a fruitful harvest.

The urgency is apparent: “for it is time to seek the LORD.” Delay is dangerous in spiritual matters. Yet the promise is gracious: God will come and “rain righteousness” upon His people. “Rain righteousness” means God graciously restoring His people to right relationship with Himself and enabling a renewed life of obedience and fruitfulness. 

This verse speaks to seasons of spiritual dryness and stagnation. It assures us that spiritual restoration is possible, but it begins with seeking the LORD earnestly while trusting in His promised renewal and refreshing. When hearts are softened in repentance and turned toward Him, God delights to respond with the refreshing, life-giving grace of His righteousness.

Hosea 6:3—“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”

It sets before God’s people a hopeful summons that follows repentance, exposing the danger of shallow commitment. Israel had been inconsistent: quick to speak of returning to the LORD, yet slow to pursue Him with perseverance. Against such superficial repentance, this verse calls God’s people to something wholehearted and steadier: not merely to know about the LORD, but to “follow on to know” Him.

It also teaches that true knowledge of God is both relational and progressive. “Then shall we know” points to the certainty of knowing God personally, but only along the path of continued pursuit. Knowing God is not achieved through momentary religious impulse, but through sustained, obedient seeking. 

The repenting and returning people are assured that God Himself will take the lead, His “going forth is prepared as the morning.” Just as dawn comes unfailingly after night, God’s self-disclosure to repentant seekers is sure and dependable. He is not reluctant to be known.

The imagery of rain deepens this assurance. God comes to His people “as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.” In an agrarian context, these rains were essential for life, growth, and fruitfulness. Theologically, this portrays God as the One who revives, nourishes, and sustains spiritual life. Without His gracious coming, hearts remain dry and barren.

A great encouragement is given to believers who long for renewal. It reminds us that spiritual dryness is not resolved by emotional bursts, but by faithful pursuit of the Lord. As we persist in seeking Him, He assures us that He will meet us with gentleness and refreshing grace, not with harshness. Those who persevere in knowing the LORD will discover Him to be faithful, life-giving, and richly sufficient, like rain falling upon parched ground.

Hosea 6:1—“Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.”

From the midst of judgment comes a merciful invitation, summoning a wandering people to return to their God. These words emerge from a nation that has experienced the painful consequences of covenant unfaithfulness. Israel had pursued idols and trusted in political alliances rather than the LORD, and divine discipline had followed. Even in chastening, He aims to restore His people.

The same LORD who “hath torn” is also the One who “will heal.” The tearing speaks of righteous discipline. God wounds not as an enemy, but as a faithful Father who disciplines those He loves. His smiting is purposeful, intended to awaken repentance and draw His people back into covenant fellowship. 

Crucially, healing is not found by escaping God’s hand but by returning to Him, for restoration comes only through renewed fellowship with the LORD who both disciplines and heals. The people are not told to seek relief elsewhere, but to come back to the very LORD who struck them. The same God who “tore” and “smote” is the only One who can “heal” and “bind up,” teaching that restoration lies in a renewed relationship with Him alone.

This verse speaks tenderly to wounded and wandering hearts. It assures us that chastisement is not evidence of abandonment, but of a continued relationship. The call, “Come,” invites repentance without despair. No matter how deep the wound or how painful the discipline, God promises to “bind us up.” His hands that strike in justice are the same hands that heal in mercy.

It reminds us that genuine repentance is marked by turning toward God, trusting that the One who disciplines us is also the God who delights in restoring, healing, and renewing His people.

Hosea 2:19–20—“And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.”

Hosea 2:19–20 stands as one of the most tender and theologically rich promises in all Scripture. Contextually, these words are spoken to a people who had been unfaithful to the LORD, likened throughout the book to an adulterous spouse. Israel had broken the covenant, pursued idols, and provoked divine judgment. Yet astonishingly, God responds not with final rejection, but with a promise of restored relationship expressed in the language of marriage.

The repeated phrase “I will betroth thee unto me” emphasises that restoration is entirely God’s initiative. A betrothal in the ancient world was a binding covenant. Here, God promises not a temporary reconciliation, but a union that is “for ever.” This renewed relationship is grounded in God’s own character: righteousness and judgment, which denote His moral integrity, lovingkindness and mercies, which denote His covenant love and compassion, and faithfulness, which denotes His unwavering reliability. What Israel failed to be, God Himself supplies.

The promise reaches its height in relationship: “and thou shalt know the LORD.” This knowledge is not merely intellectual, but personal and covenantal, born out of restored fellowship rather than external religious practice. True knowledge of God arises from a restored relationship and lived communion with Him.

The words of this passage speak hope to broken and wandering hearts. It assures us that sin, though grievous, is not stronger than God’s grace. For believers today, this promise finds its fullest expression in Christ, through whom God betroths His people to Himself in an everlasting covenant. We are urged to rejoice in a God who restores our broken relationship with Him, guarantees it by His own faithfulness, and leads us into a rich and lasting knowledge of Himself.

Sermon Text: Psalm 122
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 25th January 2026

Proverbs 18:2—“A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.”

In the framework of the Book of Proverbs, a “fool” is not merely ignorant but morally resistant to truth. Proverbs 18:2 exposes the inward posture of such a fool. He is not interested in learning, discerning, or submitting to godly wisdom. His goal is self-expression rather than gaining and applying understanding. The phrase “that his heart may discover itself” describes a heart that uncovers its own lack of understanding, revealing itself through speech marked by ego, impulse, and self-assertion. Words become a mirror of the heart, not a means of growth.

This verse confronts our habits of constant opinion-sharing, quick replies, and defensive speech, urging us to first apply our hearts to biblical wisdom in our conversations with others. How often is our listening shaped more by what we want to say next than by a desire to understand what is being said? The fool speaks to be known, but the wise listens and responds with godly understanding. What often feels like honest self-expression, when left unchecked, reveals a heart still learning the way of wisdom.

In relationships—at home, in the church, and among friends—this kind of speech quietly erodes good relationships. When words flow from the heart without discernment, understanding withers soon.

Ask yourself: Do I delight in understanding, or only in being heard? As His followers, we are called to speech shaped by humility, patience, and love. Let your words arise not from the need to display your heart, but from the desire to grow in wisdom and build others up.