Psalms 103:2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
This passage of scripture describes in precis form the practical work of salvation that God is willing to perform in the hearts of those who enter into a covenant relationship with Him. The work is done in stages, beginning with the forgiveness of our sins, without which the other stages which follow would be of little benefit. Then it moves on to the healing of all our diseases, both physical and spiritual, because the Bible teaches us that God wants to give us a balanced life with the spiritual and physical aspects of our being in tip top shape, so that we can do the best service, for the longest time possible. Let's read:
3rd John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Then the Psalmist moves on to issues such as God's protection, His loving kindness and tender mercies that are renewed to us each day, without which we would not be able to survive in a world that is hostile to righteousness and to the principles of the kingdom of God. But verse 5 of the same chapter raises the prospect of being forever young, or in other words, forestalling the aging process to a large extent, and being able to live an active, healthy, and productive life throughout the years of our pilgrimage on this earth. What is worthy of note in this passage is that the renewal of our youth is directly tied to what we eat, for this is the context in which verse five is given.
The meaning of the word "Renew" is to restore like new again, and therefore if God promises to restore our youth by what we eat, then the question is whether our current understanding of the relation of diet to the aging process is actually correct, and whether our normal expectations of growing weaker as we grow older is in line with God's revealed will for our lives. For answers to these troubling questions we turn to the scriptures.
One of the fist issues to be addressed by God after the Hebrews were delivered from Egyptian bondage was their diet, for they had become accustomed to the flesh pots and condiments that were the diet of choice in Egypt. And so The Lord saw fit to remove this diet, and instead provided them with Manna to eat, a product that was specially designed by God to perpetuate longevity, physical endurance, strength, and formidable resistance to all diseases, especially the cancers and tumors which afflicted the Egyptians on account of their culinary choices.
Moses apparently adopted this God-ordained diet, and coupled together with regular exercise of walking, hill climbing, and a living faith in God, he was able to live a long, productive life, well into those years that we would normally expect a person of that age to be feeble and using glasses to assist them in their sight. But the Bible gives us an account that is entirely out of harmony with what we normally expect of a person that age, and so the question that needs to be answered by us personally is, can a God-ordained diet, coupled together with rigorous exercise on a regular basis produce the same results for us in 2015, if we exercise that same living faith in God that Moses did? Let's read:
Deuteronomy 34:1 And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the Lord shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan. 7 And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.
In the beginning when God created the earth, He ordained the very best diet for us, so that longevity, stamina, and physical and spiritual strength could be optimized, and since He is not subject to change, the same diet, when adopted and coupled together with a living faith in Him, and regular, rigorous exercise will produce the same results, as it did with Moses and Caleb. This diet consisted of fruit, nuts and grains, and vegetables were added after sin as a means of counteracting the various diseases that would be coming our way because of sin. Therefore, to anyone who believes that God knows and gives us what is for our best good, the promise of long life, with physical endurance and strength is still available at our fingertips, and if we are consistent in cooperating with God, He will grant unto us long life and physical and spiritual strength, well into those years when most people need assistance in walking, let alone hill climbing, as was the case with Moses.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture that shows us the way by which this is quality of life is accomplished, and it is the will of God that serious efforts be made on our part daily, to cooperate with Him in the "Renewing" of our youth. Let's read:
Isaiah 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!