CELEBRATING PURPOSE IN GOOD OLD AGE

“They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing” – Psalm 92:14

God wants His beloved to still be CELEBRATING PURPOSE IN OLD AGE: “They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing” (Psa.92:14). This is a privilege that many people never have the opportunity to experience. We who are blessed to witness the “winter” of life with proof of fulfilled purpose should be extremely thankful. The Lord promises His unending love and care: “Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you” (Isa. 46:4). The Bible says concerning Abraham: “Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a GOOD OLD AGE, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people” (Gen.25:8).

This is God’s promise: “With LONG LIFE will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation” (Psa.91:16). Long life is more than “longevity”, which is simply a tendency to live very long in terms of biological age. Many examples of longevity are merely “long existence” and not “long LIFE.” A person could have “long existence” the greater portion of which he or she spends as a liability to others. Long Life is not just about duration, but both duration and quality. Only God can satisfy you with long life characterized by salvation (deliverance and protection) all through your sojourn on earth. Moreover, no one can question His sovereignty if people transit in the prime of life.

The Bible is clear about God’s Will for His people: “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing” (Psa.92:12-14). To flourish like the palm tree means, to be useful to yourself and others all through life’s duration; to fulfil divine purpose in its multi-faceted dimensions. The fruit of the palm is edible; the stones are ground as food for camels; the leaves are made into baskets; the long, hard boughs or strong leaves are used to make fences; the juice is strong Oriental liquor; the threads of the leaves make ropes; and the wood is used as building material or fire-wood. Even in barren soil, the palm tree is watered deep at the roots!

To grow like a cedar means, to live long and strong: cedars are extremely long-lived, and grow many metres tall and wide around the trunk, symbolizing majesty, durability, incorruptibility and stability. Psalm 128:2 says, “When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.” This means, you’ll live long enough to eat the harvest in later years of your seeds in earlier years. Verse 6 says “Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel.” This promise is premised on the fear of the Lord and walking in His Word (Psa.1:1-6). The Bible admonishes: “Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you” (Exo.20:12).

The Bible says: “Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished” (Dt.34:7). And Caleb’s testimony: “And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in” (Jos.14:10-11). Not every octogenarian can echo Caleb’s testimony, but every believer in Christ has the potential to celebrate Purpose in old age. May your old age not be a time of regret, depression or isolation, but a season of celebration of purpose and eternal impact, in Jesus name!