In the Old Testament we learn about Caleb. At the age of 40 he was one of the twelve spies who entered the Promised Land to scope it out. Upon their return only Caleb and Joshua said the Israelites could take over the land as long as they had faith that God would help them drive out the inhabitants. The Israelites chose to listen to the other ten spies who said there was no way they could take over the land.
Forty-five years later Joshua and Caleb were the only ones of the original group to enter the Promised Land. Once the people were conquered the lands were divided among the Israelites. Caleb wanted the hill country, the land of the Anakites (giants). He said that with the Lord helping him he’ll drive out the Anakites. And at age 85 he did just that.
Isaiah 46:4 says, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
Through the story of Caleb and the verse in Isaiah we are being told that no matter what our age we can face the challenges before us as long as we rely on God’s help. We retire from our professions, but we should not retire from doing work for God’s kingdom. When we enter our “golden years” there is a lot we can still do. If we are writers, keep writing. If we are still driving we can help take others to medical appointments or shopping. There are many volunteer opportunities for retired people. If nothing else we can be prayer warriors.
Old age should not be an excuse to stop fulfilling a role in God’s work. Are you retired or near retirement? Have you thought about what you will do in your later years? With God’s help you can continue to face challenges and overcome them. With the Lord by your side you can forge ahead as an important part of His plan for The Kingdom.
As long as you are breathing God has work for you to do. He will sustain you. Is your faith in God strong enough to face the challenges of continuing to work for Him no matter how old you become?
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