In Old Age, He Will Carry Me

 Isaiah 46:4,9
And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you…Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me
One look in the mirror and I know that my time on this earth is growing shorter. If the Lord permits me to live as long as my mother, I am over two-thirds of the way there. It is not uncommon for us to think that we still have plenty of life left, especially if we have maintained our health and are not suffering many ailments.  But the gray hairs that sprinkle my head are not my imagination, old age is at my doorstep. I look back on my life and see how God has carried me through. He carried me through a broken home, through my teens, as I sought to find happiness and a pure conscience. He carried me through my college years as I sought to know God’s will for my life. In the turmoil of church divisions, He carried me through, still trusting Him to keep me true to His word. Through the conflict of work dynamics and interpersonal relationships, He was there to bear me up and let me know He would not leave me alone. As I have entered my retirement years, I realize that I need Him more today than ever. My years of experience living this Christian life is not enough. I must lean hard on Him even more as I enter into this new journey of life. I can see the sun starting to set, and it will be here before I know it. But I remember the past, and He has never failed. He will carry me through until the end. There is none like Him.

Getting Old

 Titus 2:2
That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

If God allows us to live beyond 3 scores and 10 years, we no doubt will feel the effects of getting old. The body starts to slow down, our balance is not as sure, and our mind is not as sharp as it once was. We do all we can to maintain our youthfulness, but our bodies are not made to last forever. With aging, comes the inability to do the work effectively that we once were able to do. But growing old does mean we lay down our armor and cease from labor. There is no magic year when we wake up and we become aged men or women. But we come to realize as we work that there are some things we are no longer able to do. As we start to feel the effects of aging, we need to start to refocus on things we can do. Titus admonishes those who are getting older to stay alert, keep the faith, keep loving people, and to be patient with others. Teach the younger generation to stay true to the word by teaching sound doctrine. No doubt, to keep true to the teaching of Jesus. In a culture and time when women were expected to be keepers of the home, they were admonished to focus their attention on the children, show the younger women how to love their children and love their husbands. The principles of God’s word still hold today, regardless of the reshaping of our culture. It is God’s desire that we make choices that will keep the structure of the family in harmony with God’s word. What that will look like should be approached with much prayer and understanding of God’s will to keep that structure in place. The point given to us by Titus is to keep doing what is good and reaching out to others who need help, no matter how old we get. We can always pray for others and show kindness by our words of wisdom. Getting old is part of God’s plan, and that plan is to keep on loving and doing good things.

In My Old Age

 Titus 2:2

That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience

How ironic that on my 62nd birthday this scripture was highlighted in verse of the day in Gateway. I often don’t read the scripture of the day, but did today. I don't know if I am considered to be an “aged man”, but I am no longer a young man in my prime. With age comes experience, and with experience hopefully some wisdom. Learning from successes and failures, we learn that it is often best to wait and see how God is moving, staying steadfast in our faith that God is in control. He orders the steps of a good man and keeps him in the way of righteousness. The influence of our life trickles down to our children and grandchildren. The impact we make may never be known in our lifetime, but let it be said of me that my faith was sound, and that I demonstrated love and patience towards others.

Bearing Fruit in Old Age

Psalm 92:14  They shall still bring forth fruit in old age…

The days of man are numbered, and getting old eventually comes if God allows. How old do you need to be to be considered reaching old age? Yes, it has been said that we are as old as we feel, but at some point we all reach “old age” Physical appearance, the graying of the hair, the sagging of the skin, the bending of the shoulders, or the pace of our walk all can be indications that we have reached “old age”. Our body begins to wear down, our mind is not as quick as it use to be, and it appears that our usefulness to be used of God is diminished. God has a plan for each one of us as we grow older. We may no longer be able to do the things we were able to do in our youth, but this does not mean that we stop bearing fruit for the kingdom. God is faithful as we grow older to provide a way for us to be fruit bearer. He knows our physical limitations, but we can still be a light of hope and encouragement to those who follow our footsteps. May the prayers of the saints and the wisdom of old age be a guiding light to those who follow.

Even in Old Age

Isaiah 46:4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.

Time quickly passes and the hairs of my hair are now peppered with gray. In my youth I gave my heart to Jesus. My hair jet black and full. To this day, He has not forsaken me. Even as the years have pass He has led me each step of the way. The gray hairs are more abundant and my years are numbered. I may have 20 or 30 years left if God wills. From the womb, He made me, in life, He sought me out as a teenage boy. Through the trail and hard times He carried me, and in that day when when life on this earth comes to an end, He will deliver me into the bosom of the Father. Jesus, lover of my soul and keeper of my heart.

Not Too Old for God

Isaiah 46:4. 9 “And even to your old age I am He, and even to hoary hairs will I carry you. I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is none other; I am God, and there is none like Me”-

Not too old for God. Aging comes up behind us so quickly. Knowing that there are more days behind us that are in front of us is sobering. The older we get, the more we realize the things of this world are just dust of the earth. Eternity is just over the horizon. The passing of time is seen as are skin begins to change, and the color of our hair turns grey, or white. We no longer can do the things we use to do and our effectiveness is inhibited by our inability to get around like we use to. But, growing old is part of God’s plan, unless providence takes our life unexpectedly at a younger age. God does not put us on the shelf, but will often redirect our mission in life. He does not leave us helpless and He does not forsake us. Even in our old age, He will show Himself to be the God of old, and go before us as we fight battles only known to those who are getting old. “Lord, almost 58 years have gone by, and God willing, I have 20-30 years left. Help me to trust you more each day and to remember that there is no other God that can carry me through like you can. You are God and there is none like You!”