“Wisdom is with the aged,
and understanding in length of days.” Job 12:12
“I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.”
“The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away…
So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom…
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil..”
“The righteous flourish like the palm tree
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
They still bear fruit in old age;
they are ever full of sap and green.” Psalm 37:25; 90:10,12,14-15; 92:12-14
“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise.”
“Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 13:20; 22:6
“Listen to me,..
who have been borne by me from before your birth,
carried from the womb;
even to your old age I am he,
and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save.” Isaiah 46:3-4
“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18
God ordains years for each life, and through them enriches days with growing wisdom, experiences of His faithfulness, and meaningful industry. Time instructs, refines, fortifies. From the dawn to dusk of each day, and life, we can rejoice and be thankful and flourish. (Psalm 139:16)
Different perspectives by culture or mindset see aging as either resisted or revered. Some eschew wrinkles on skin and breakdown in ability and mobility, while others boast wisdom spots, smile lines, and more opportunities to be still, listen better, and pray. The impetus behind resistance or acceptance is our view of God and His order of things.
While it is difficult to ache physically, give up long-loved activities, and lose certain familiarities, in the course of life God intends joy as we age. As years and seasons pass, He will continue to present opportunities for us to grow, serve, and honor Him, even though they look and feel different from what we’ve always known. Taking care to remain agile and productive is good stewardship, while denying age and relentlessly combating what naturally occurs with unnatural means can skew focus. How can we make life more about Him and less about us? What has the Lord prescribed for now, and how are seizing the moments and new life stages? (Psalm 1:1-3; John 3:30)
Will we accept the changes and new occasions that come with age with open-hearted expectancy of new people, understanding, activities? How willingly and well do we embrace new seasons the Lord ordains? What have we learned about Him and ourselves in the transitions?
Lord, may I run every day of life’s race with wisdom, zeal, and joy in Your way, on Your time, accomplishing Your purposes, for Your glory. (Philippians 1:6; 2 Timothy 4:7)
As the rain and snow 