Growing Older | Preparation

I am continuing this series of quoted ponderings and Bible verses about growing older. I thought I'd be finished by now, but apparently I had collected more than I thought! No apologies, though. I am learning so much as I ponder. I hope that you are too. 

 (Click ~here~ to read others.) 

Preparation for old age should begin not later than one's teens. A life which is empty of purpose until 65 will not suddenly become filled on retirement.  ~ Dwight L. Moody

"Life's Autumn"

Continuing this series of quoted ponderings and Bible verses about growing older. (Click ~here~ to read others.) Today, I am sharing a poem by Amy Carmichael, found in Mountain Breezes. 

LIFE'S AUTUMN
~ Amy Carmichael

Great Giver of my lovely green in Spring,
          A dancing, singing green upon my tree,
My green has passed; I have no song to sing;
          What will my Autumn be?

Must it be, thought alive, as all but dead,
          A heavy-footed and a silent thing?
Effectless, sapless, tedious, limited,
          A withered vanishing?

                    * * * * *

This I; but He to me: "Have I not shown
          In Autumn woodland and on mountain fell
The splendor of My purpose for Mine own?
          Fear not, for all is well.

"And thou shalt see, My child, what I will do,
          For as thy lingering Autumn days unfold,
The lovely, singing green of hitherto
          Will come to thee in gold."

Does this poem say anything to you? Does it give you encouragement for the "Autumn" of your life?

"By What Death He Would Glorify God"

Continuing this series of quoted ponderings and Bible verses about growing older. (Click ~here~ to read others.) 

A brother in our home fellowship illuminated something in this passage that had been a hidden truth to me. The resurrected Jesus was speaking to Simon Peter . . .  

Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”  John 21:17-19

I hope you are not finding this discussion morbid. Conversely, I find this thought heartening: that God has designed the time and circumstances of my earthly departure in a way which will bring glory to Him! 

There is great comfort in this! 

Much Yet to Do

Today's thought in our series may take you a few more minutes to read, but it is full of deep thought and perhaps a fresh way of looking at retirement for the Christ-follower!


(Other ponderings are ~here~, ~here~, and ~here~.) 

Much Yet to Do

“Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.” (Joshua 13:1)

There is no set “retirement age” for the Christian, for there is always “yet very much land to be possessed.” Joshua had survived 40 years in the wilderness, then led in the long hard conquest of Canaan, and was now at least 80 years of age. Not only was he “old and stricken in years,” but God even told him he was old! But instead of allowing him to settle down to enjoy a few retirement years in his hard-won new home, God sent Joshua out once again for further conquests.

That must always be the case with those who love and serve the Lord. There is still much Scripture to study and learn, many people yet to reach with a gospel witness, many with whom to share God’s love and comfort, much money yet to be earned to give to missions. Even those who must retire from active service or become confined at home still have much praying to accomplish.

No one who knows the redemptive love of Jesus Christ is ever too old to possess more “land” for the Lord. “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).

Old age eventually comes to everyone who survives youth and middle age, but that does not mean it is time to quit. “O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come” (Psalm 71:17-18).

~ Henry M. Morris, Jr. 

Even to Your Old Age and Gray Hairs

Continuing this series of quoted ponderings and Bible verses about growing older. (Other quotes are ~here~ and ~here~.)  Today's thoughts are from a devotional published by Our Daily Bread entitled How to Grow Old.

"While the Bible doesn't gloss over the problems we face as we grow older, neither does it paint old age as a time to be despised or a burden to be endured with gritted teeth."  ~ Billy Graham   

and . . .

Even to your old age and gray hairs . . . 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." Isaiah 46:4 NIV

But please, follow this link to read this short devotional in its entirety.

When you ponder the truth of that verse . . . and the beautiful thought that He who made us will carry us even unto death . . . that He will sustain us . . . and rescue us . . . doesn't that give you courage as you contemplate growing older?

Clap Your Listless Hands

Last Monday I began a series of quoted ponderings and Bible verses about growing older. We had a thoughtful discussion in the comments section and I thank you for joining, whether you added a thought of your own or simply read the conversation and gleaned. (You may want to click ~here~ if you have not read last week's discussion.) Again this week I invite you to share your thoughts in the comments. 

Today's thought is a quote within a quote . . . in which Elisabeth Elliot quotes George Macdonald . . . 

"George Macdonald said, 'If you knew what God knows about death you would clap your listless hands,' but instead I find old people in North America just buying this whole youth obsession. I think growing older is a wonderful privilege. I want to learn to glorify God in every stage of my life."      ~ Elisabeth Elliot 

Do you see evidence of "youth obsession" in our culture? 
Do you find yourself thinking more about death as you get older? 

Gathered Quotes About Growing Older

For the next several Mondays, I want to talk about growing older. I have been collecting quotes and Bible verses about growing old, and I have decided to share some of them with you. Maybe we can have a little discussion in the comments section? Or maybe we'll just ponder and grow in wisdom.

Today's thought . . . 

"Part of what you have received is your age. Have you accepted the exact number of years and months and days God has granted to you so far? Do you lie about your age? Do you hate growing old? But old age is one of the stages of the journey with the Shepherd. Make use of it as He intends."   ~Elisabeth Elliot

Do we need to come into old age kicking and screaming, or can we view it as "one of the stages of the journey with the Shepherd"?