Thought for the Day

As people age, they become more experienced. This experience can lead to wisdom, but it is not a guarantee of it. Only those committed to God possess this glorious crown. A righteous elder possesses wisdom that younger men do not have. His wisdom is noble, beautiful, and evident. "The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head" (Proverbs 20:29).

Older men and women who know Christ do not have to face the sunset of their lives with dread, since God's Word contains great promises for them. One of those promises is that their lives shall be fruitful. It is not God's will that they should waste away in their latter years. "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing" (Psalm 92:12-14).

Another wonderful promise for older people who may feel weak is found in Isaiah: "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 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" (Isaiah 40:29-31).

What a wonderful promise: to run without weariness and walk without fainting! Moses' life was an example of how God fulfills this promise; his latter years were blessed with good health and vitality. "And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated" (Deuteronomy 34:7).

God desires that we live long and productive lives, leaving a godly inheritance to those who follow us. Our latter years should be "golden." We should be healthy and strong, able to do the will of God until we have completed His purpose for us. When our assignment is complete, it will be time for us to leave this earth. The devil is the one who wants to cut our lives short. There are many promises in the Word of God concerning long life: "He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation" (Psalm 91:15-16). "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).