Being a senior can be tough today. The cost of living and current inflation makes living on Social Security or a pension nearly impossible. Yet, God knows you and your needs. He sees you where you stand, and He won’t let you go without. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be times when your faith is tried, but He is always right on time.
Ruthie – The Modern Day Dorcas
Sometimes a story is the best way to describe how powerful God’s love is for his children, especially those who are on in years. Remember the story of Dorcas in the Bible, who fed and clothed the poor? Her spirit lives on in a tenderhearted lady named Ruthie.
Even at nearly 80 years old, Ruthie stays busy working in her church’s soup kitchen in a small town in Ohio. Many hungry stomachs are fed with her delicious meals. These days she uses a walker, but it doesn’t stop her from doing God’s work. She’s there every Saturday, rain or shine.
The people who frequent the local mission all know her by name, and her cooking is very famous in the area. She never looks down on anyone, but she always greets them with a smile. Ruthie may move a little slower these days, but her generous heart keeps her going strong.
Faith in the Small Things
Ruthie has incredible faith, and why wouldn’t she, as she’s seen more miracles than most individuals. One day comes to mind. It was Christmas, and her family was on their way for a big celebration. All the stores were closed as it was a holiday, and she had no trash bags. The sad thing is she didn’t have money for them either.
Perplexed by the amount of trash from the grandkid’s presents and the holiday meal, she bowed her head to ask God to send her a roll of trash bags. She let the dog, Rufus, out to the restroom and went back to cooking. The doorbell rang, and it was her brother from Missouri.
While She was happy to see him, she was even more grateful for what the dog came in carrying from outside. To Ruthie’s amazement, the dog had a big roll of trash bags in its mouth. Old Rufus flopped those bags down right at her feet as if he had brought her a prize.
Indeed, he did bring her something special, for it was the very thing she just told God she needed. See, to some people, it was too small to even ask for such a thing. However, Ruthie believed that God could take care of the biggest or the smallest of things, as they had that kind of relationship.
Isn’t it amazing to serve a Heavenly Father who cares about a senior and that she was out of a basic household need? It might remind you of scripture found in Matthew 10:29 where Jesus says that if He sees the tiny sparrow that falls to the ground, how much more mindful is He of His children?
The Blessings Roll Down
This wasn’t the first time the Lord provided for Ruthie, as cooking for 200 people each week can tax even a charitable organization’s budget. One day, Ruthie and her volunteers were grocery shopping for the soup kitchen as they were making liver and onions for dinner. They were frustrated at the high prices and realized they didn’t have enough money to get the onions for the meal.
Since they posted the menu at the beginning of the week, she didn’t want to disappoint their guests. Unloading the groceries was a task at her age, but just as she started to lift a bag, she felt something bump against her foot. Several large onions were rolling down the parking lot right towards her. Did a stock person overhear them talking about the need and wanted to help, or was it divine intervention that ten large yellow onions made their way close to where they were standing?
If the Lord could provide manna to the Children of Israel in Exodus 16, He could certainly provide onions for the soup kitchen. There were no carts or opened car doors around them. Ruthie praised God as she gathered enough onions for a hearty liver and onion dinner, and she told her story to anyone who would listen.
While some thought her story was farfetched, others knew that she was like the widow in the Bible who God once visited with such a miracle. After all, they laughed at Noah when he was building the ark, but God knew what He was doing. God is still a Lord of miracles, and He will see about you and your needs regardless of age.
The Widow’s Oil
Jesus has a soft spot in His heart for widows and orphans. He makes it a point to provide for those who often can’t do it themselves, and many senior citizens fall into this category. As in the testimony of Ruthie, the Lord knows how to care for the widows, and He won’t forsake you in your time of need.
II Kings 4:1-7 recounts a story of a widow’s faith, obedience, and God’s provision. She and her family supported the prophet Elijah’s ministry, and now, her husband was dead. When Elijah came to visit her, she cried and told him what would happen to her sons.
The lady tells the prophet that her husband has passed away and he left a significant debt. These ruthless creditors threatened that if she couldn’t pay the bill, her sons would be sold into slavery. Elijah asked her if she had anything of value in the house. The only thing she had was a small jar of olive oil.
This precious oil was used for cooking, lighting, medicine, and perfume in Biblical times. High-quality olive oil was often worth its weight in gold. Unfortunately, this widow only had a small jar of oil, and it wouldn’t bring enough money to pay the bill. The prophet told her to go to her neighbors and borrow as many empty vessels as possible.
She probably felt a little silly asking people for these containers, as she wasn’t sure what would happen. They closed the door after she and her sons brought all these jars into the house. The man of God instructed her to start pouring oil from her jar into the empty ones. The oil kept flowing until every borrowed pot was filled to the brim.
Elijah told the widow and her boys to take all the jars to the marketplace and sell the oil. They got more than enough to pay the debt in full and keep their sons out of slavery. Since her family was faithful to God and obedient to His prophet, the Lord bountifully provided for her.
So many seniors live on fixed incomes, and with the increasing food prices, it’s understandable that there may be times when the cabinets are sparse. However, God is always as close as the mention of His name, and His Word assures you that the righteous won’t be forsaken or their seed beg bread in Psalms 37:25.
Learning a Lesson from Nature
The same God who helped the widow in the Bible and Ruthie will care for your needs too. In His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus teaches about God’s Providence. He states that God feeds them, although the birds don’t plant or sow.
The lilies of the field don’t toil and spin, yet God dresses them in a more pleasing array than King Solomon. His point was that if God provides for the flowers and birds, how much more will He provide for His Children? Often, seniors feel left out and alone because family and friends have gone, but Jesus will stick closer than a brother.
Prayer for Today
Lord, there are times when I feel weak, and I am scared. There are also times when I don’t know what to do or where my needs will come from, but still, I trust you. Jesus, show me miracles as You’ve done for so many others. I know that You’re my best friend and the person I can depend on. Amen