Renew Your Youth
Psalm 103 reveals a secret to renewing our youth. It promises to the faithful that YHWH will satisfy our mouths with good things so that our youth will be renewed like the eagle’s.
Many eagles can live into their 70s – three score years and ten. This is only if they take vigorous action in their 40s though. By this time their beaks can grow to be unmanageable – as can their claws. Some commentators have declared that a focused eagle will return to it eyrie and will pluck out its plumage, pluck out its talons, and bash its beak against the rocks until it is worn off. There then follows 150 days of fasting and rest until its youth is renewed!
Interestingly, Ps 103 is not suggesting that we need to do this (contrary to some preachers’ declarations). Rather it suggests that the way God works with us, by satisfying our mouth with good things, will have a similar effect.
There is no better manna to place upon our lips than the Word of God. Our mouths should be graced with positive, non-condemnatory speech. (Remember the judgement of God in the Wilderness on His people who complained?!!!) The most positive words you can affirm start with “I Am…” YHWH’s self-revelation is the name, “I Am that I Am” – the very ‘stuff’ of affirmations. So here is “An Alphabet of Affirmations” for you to satisfy your mouth with and so renew your youth.
If death and life are in the power of the tongue, here is life…
- I Am Artistic and I Am Articulate; I Am Anointed and Appointed; I Am Altruistic; I Am Abundant
- I Am Bold, Beautiful and Bodacious (excellent, admirable, attractive)
- I Am Connecting – Always Building Connections; I Am Compassionate and Charitable; I Am Charismatic; I Am Calm, I Am Becoming Calmer
- I Am Decisive – a Natural Leader; I Am Dynamic
- I Am Empathetic and Emotionally Intelligent; I Am An Encourager
- I Am Full of Faith and Am therefore Faithful too; I Am Forgiving; I Am Friendly
- I Am Gentle and I Am Good; I Am Gracious; I Am Generous; I Am Gorgeous!
- I Am A History-Maker; I Am Happy; I Am Healthy
- I Am Inspired and I Am An Inspirer; I Am full of Integrity
- I Am Joyful
- I Am Kind… and One of a Kind, My Loving-Kindness Edures
- I Am Laughing; I Am Loving; I Am Learning; I Am Living a Life to the Full
- I Am Magnanimous; I Am Me; I Am Magical and Miraculous
- I Am Noble; I Am Natural – and unto myself I am true
- I Am Open-minded; I Am full of Oomph!
- I Am Peaceful and a Peace-Maker; I Am Patient; I Am Here On Purpose
- I Am Questioning – challenging everything that is not of God; I Am Quirky
- I Am Resilient; I Am Radiant – I positively glow with Divine Life!
- I Am Self-Controlled, I Am full of Surprises! I Am Sparky! I Am Sociable
- I Am Trust-Worthy and I Am Truthful
- I Am Unique; I Am Uncompromising
- I Am Vivacious – full of Life to the full!
- I Am Wealthy
- I Am X-marks-the-spot – there’s hidden treasure in me that you’ve yet to discover
- I Am Youthful – and my Youth is being renewed like the eagle’s
- I Am Zealous for all that is good and loving and joyful and pure and pleasing and praiseworthy and noble and true.
Let me know if you’d like an audio version of this to bathe your ears and soul in!
Life to the Full 