Aging Gracefully: June 2026
Table of Contents
Aging Gracefully
The example of the eighty-year-old Barzillai gives us clues of how to have happy, fruitful golden years. The way he cared for King David when he fled from Jerusalem is a beautiful example of one approaching the time of departure from this world and yet faithfully attentive to the earthly cares of others. Those who know the Lord Jesus as Savior can look for His imminent return to take all living believers home without dying, while facing the challenge of how to finish the race well, as our minds, bodies and souls wear out. “Indeed we who are in the tabernacle groan, being burdened; while yet we do not wish to be unclothed, but clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now he that has wrought us for this very thing is God, who also has given to us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, and know that while present in the body we are absent from the Lord, (for we walk by faith, not by sight); we are confident, I say, and pleased rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. Wherefore also we are zealous, whether present or absent, to be agreeable to Him” (2 Cor. 5:4-9 JND).
D. C. Buchanan
Aging Gracefully
When God placed man in the Garden of Eden, He gave them (Adam and his wife Eve) one command. They were not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and they were told that if they did so, “Thou shalt certainly die” (Gen. 2:17 JND). Freely translated, this phrase could also be rendered, “Dying thou shalt die.” Adam and Eve did disobey this command, and ever since that time man has had to cope with the various effects of aging. Of course death has come in for reasons other than aging, for serious illness, accidents, and other factors have caused men and women to die at a young age. Yet it remains that for most of us, aging means a general slowing down of our physical and mental abilities, with all of the difficulties associated with this, and with the end being death.
As we approach this problem in 2026, many in this world are seeking earnestly to age gracefully without Christ, much in the spirit of Cain, who “went out from the presence of the Lord,” and tried to make himself as comfortable as possible in a world spoiled by sin, but leaving God out of his life. In western nations many so-called “baby boomers” — those born after World War 2 — are doing their best to live well as they enter old age, while others who are younger are trying to retire at increasingly earlier ages, so as to enjoy more and more leisure time before death overtakes them. For some this works out well, as far as this life is concerned, while for others various debilitating diseases overtake them, rendering their retirement years more of a burden than a time of enjoyment.
When We’re Near Home
For those who know Christ as their Savior, all this takes on (or should take on!) a very different flavor, although we are subject to the same aging processes that affect unbelievers. If we have lived our lives for the Lord, and have a risen Christ in glory before us, then old age can be the richest time in our lives. I am reminded of a relatively young man who was sprinting up a long flight of stairs to the auditorium at a Bible conference, after having taken his meal in the dining room. While doing so he caught up with two elderly ladies who were going much more slowly, step by step, up those same stairs. With a smile he remarked to them, “Don’t you wish you were young again, and could go up these stairs quickly, as I can”? One of them smiled back, and replied, “When we’re this near home?” It was a good answer, for they had lived most of their lives, and were looking forward to being with Christ. (They are both now with the Lord, for this incident took place more than sixty years ago.)
Bad Tendencies
However, not every true Christian ages gracefully. In Psalm 19:13, David could pray, “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me.” There may be a tendency towards certain sins all our life, but during our younger years those tendencies may be kept relatively out of sight by human energy. However, if the root is not judged before the Lord, then, when human energy begins to fail, those sinful tendencies may come out more overtly.
I would suggest that one of the most serious sins in anyone, but especially in a Christian, is pride. If we are not accorded the respect and honor that we feel is due to us as we get older, we may respond in an irritated manner. I remember an older brother whom I knew well, but who exclaimed as he found himself unable to travel anymore, “I’m just on the scrapheap”! He had been used of the Lord all his life, but was unable to face having to remain at home much of the time as he got older. But as our work for the Lord becomes more “behind the scenes,” old age can become the richest period of our life. What we do tends to have less of self in it, and can have more of Christ, as our reputation does not get in the way.
As we get older, it is to be hoped that we judge ourselves less and less according to “man’s day” (1 Cor. 4:3 JnD). In writing to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul realized that appearances during “man’s day” could be deceiving. There might be “hidden things of darkness” as well as “the counsels of the hearts,” and only the Lord can fully know both of these. They will come out only at the judgment seat of Christ. But both of these will tend to be more manifest in old age, and again, it is to be hoped that we have judged those “hidden things of darkness” so that they do not spoil our later years.
Set Patterns
There may be many picking up this issue who are not into their “senior” years. Even if you are still young and energetic, you are setting the patterns for old age, should the Lord leave us here. You do not suddenly become gracious and thoughtful by trying to inject those characteristics into your life at a late date. Your younger years are the time to set the stage in your walk with the Lord, as to the type of “senior” you are going to be.
In this issue of The Christian we hope to reflect on some of those traits that help us to age gracefully, while at the same time reminding ourselves of those things that can hinder us in this.
W. J. Prost
God's Aged Pilgrims
There are no Methuselahs among men today. Even those who live the longest are junior to Jacob, who at the age of a hundred and thirty declared that his years had been few (Gen. 47:9).
There are many, however, who in the language of the Bible, are “well stricken in years.” We can say with Eliphaz, “With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men” (Job 15:10). When these are found among the people of God, men and women who have for many a long year walked in His ways, they are worthy of all honor.
Monuments of Mercy
We love and value our aged brethren and sisters. How it encourages us to see them, monuments of divine mercy, kept by the power of God through all the ups and downs of a long life. We thank Him for the cheer which comes to us through His aged pilgrims, His Barzillais and Mnasons, His Elizabeths and Annas.
The days of restless youth with their golden dreams have faded into the remote past. Gone too is middle life with its stress and conflict. Old age is come, and has brought its peculiar trials and special exercises. In view of these, we desire to address a few words of cheer and loving exhortation to those who are nearing the end of their pilgrim journey. This we would do in the spirit of the Apostle’s words to his son in the faith, intreating them as fathers, and the elder women as mothers (1 Tim. 5:1-2).
Fruit Bearing in Old Age
There is no reason why the Christian’s declining years should not be the brightest and best of all. Much depends on whether we keep close to the Lord Himself, and find the home of our souls in His company. To those who abide in His love, and in this sense are “planted in the house of the Lord,” a cheering promise is given: “They shall still bring forth fruit in old age” (Psa. 92:14).
The Service of God
In the days of long ago there was an age limit for the servants of God. The ministry of the Levites ended at fifty (Num. 4:47). Not so in Christianity. Service may continue till our Master calls us hence if only the soul be kept “fat and flourishing” (Psa. 92:14).
Let none, therefore, think themselves useless, mere burdens to others. Barzillai feared that he was this, and as he had reached his eightieth birthday, it was perhaps only natural that he should. “Wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king”? he asks (2 Sam. 19:35). But in point of fact he was far from being a burden. Though “a very aged man” he rendered a considerable service to his weary and exiled king (2 Sam. 17:27- 29). Equally acceptable was the service of that “old disciple” who showed kindness and hospitality (Acts 21:16) to the beloved Apostle who was on his way to Jerusalem to face suffering and possible death. Age is no bar to service of this sort.
Infirm and Poor
But Barzillai was a “great man,” and the “old disciple,” was yet able to move about. What of those who are not only aged but poor? What of those crippled by infirmity? Can they be otherwise than a burden? They can indeed. Anna, with her full sheaf of years, was one like this. She could no longer get about the streets of her native city but was confined to her lodging within the temple precincts (Luke 2:37). Full of praise, she could testify of the Christ who was even then among them. Of Him she spoke “to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.”
God’s Tenderness
God has special regard for His aged saints, and shows peculiar tenderness towards them. He was thinking of them in their weakness when He said, “Even to your old age I am He; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you” (Isa. 46:4). As a loving mother carries her tired child, so does our God graciously carry us over the rough places of life. He carries us all the way till He brings us home (Luke 15:3-6).
Lord, My Strength Faileth
The psalmist (Psalm 71) twice prays that God will not forsake him. First he says, “Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.” And again, “Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not.”
Was it likely that God would forsake His aged and way-worn servant? From his earliest days he had been “holden up” by the power of God (Psa. 71:6). When in the full vigor of youth, though “great and sore troubles” fell to his lot (Psa. 71:20), he had been marvelously helped.
But one thing he had never seen. He tells us what it is: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken” (Psa. 37:25).
Instead of forsaking His children in the evening of their lives God comforts them on every side (Psa. 71:21), and so strengthens their faith and ministers to their souls that they are “a wonder unto many” (Psa. 71:7). He Himself is their “strong refuge.”
Living in the Past
One notices sometimes a tendency on the part of our aged brethren and sisters to magnify unduly the past at the expense of the present. Perhaps things were brighter then. There may have been more widespread interest in the things of God. People assembled in greater numbers to hear the gospel. Since then the zeal of many seems to have waxed cold.
But the things that warmed our hearts in those never-to-be-forgotten days remain. The unchanging love of Christ is still ours to enjoy. We have the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit with us. Prayer is a privilege that belongs to us as much as to our fathers, and “the comfort of the Scriptures” is as great as ever it was. Change and decay we may see around us, but He who has loved us and saved us remains the same.
Filled With the Holy Spirit
Zacharias and his wife were both “well stricken in years.” They had lived blamelessly before the Lord, walking in His fear. But there was nothing very remarkable about them. Being childless, Elizabeth’s life, from the standpoint of a Jewish woman, had been a failure. Zacharias, though a man of prayer, could hardly be called a man of great faith.
In their old age a wonderful thing happened. They were both filled with the Holy Spirit. First, Elizabeth was filled (Luke 1:41). Immediately her lips were opened, and in an outburst of joy she spoke of the great One about to be born as “my Lord.” Her heart now found its object in Him.
It was some weeks after this, it seems, that Zacharias was filled (Luke 1:67). The result with him was that he gave utterance to a song of praise that celebrated the expected advent of Christ into the world.
This is how it always is. Those who are filled with the Holy Spirit do not speak of themselves, their own experience, or their work. Their eyes are upon Christ, their hearts are strongly drawn out in affection to Him, and their lips utter His goodness. They testify of their Savior, not of themselves.
Alone. Yet Not Alone
One word in conclusion. Does the aged Christian feel lonely? Are the loved ones of earlier years all gone? While you watch and wait for your Savior to come, do you feel “as a sparrow alone upon the house top” (Psa. 102:7)?
Take comfort then from the case of “Paul the aged,” as he calls himself (Philemon 9). The friends of former days had left him (2 Tim. 1:15). In the hour of his need no man stood with him, but all forsook him (2 Tim. 4:16). “Notwithstanding,” he triumphantly exclaims, “the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me” (2 Tim. 4:17). Happy man: alone, yet not alone.
Thus it will ever be. To the very end, God’s aged pilgrims will prove the truth of His promise, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5). Blessed be God for this.
H.P. Barker (adapted)
Balance in Aging
As we read the Word of God, we cannot help but be impressed with how balanced it is in every way. Often we read one verse, only to find that another gives an opposite point of view. This is not meant to confuse us, of course, but rather to present different points of view which must be applied practically in fellowship with the Lord, and in the power of the Spirit of God.
As we age, there are some things that we must give up doing. Some of these things involve our health, while others involve avoiding danger in other ways. If I may use myself as an illustration, I voluntarily gave up driving more than six years ago because of poor peripheral vision. It was a wise decision, and while it has occasioned some inconvenience for my wife and me, it has allowed me to avoid some potentially dangerous situations. I have also stopped going up on my roof in the late fall, to blow the leaves off my gutter-guards (or eavestrough guards, as we call them in Canada). I leave that to a younger man, or one of my grandsons.
However, it is possible to carry this kind of thing to an extreme, where we give up doing anything that requires physical exertion, and resort simply to sitting around. It is easy to do this as we get older, and avoid taking responsibility for tasks around our own home, as well as avoiding helping others out. This is not the right way to do it, for most of us age gradually, unless we suffer something like a serious heart attack or a crippling stroke. The right way is to slow down gradually, again within the framework of our abilities.
The Framework of our Abilities
However, there is an extreme in the other direction, an extreme that is born of pride in our abilities and strength. This opposite extreme consists of thinking that we can still do everything that we did when we were younger, both physically and mentally. Most of us have seen someone like this, at one time or another — someone who foolishly tries to do things that he/she is not really able to do anymore. Then they either fail to complete the job they set out to do, or injure themselves in the process. We may admire the stamina and persistence of such individuals, but at the same time recognize the potential for difficulties that may result from such behavior.
In spiritual things, the enemy may come at us with “new armor,” and with different types of warfare — see 2 Samuel 21:16 JND. Then we are wise to remember that we are to “serve [our] own generation by the will of God” (Acts 13:36) and recognize when it is time for another generation to take over. All this requires wisdom from the Lord, and at the same time a sober assessment of our abilities as we get older. It is one of the areas in our life where balance is needed. The Lord will help us to achieve that balance, if we ask Him.
Advice From Others
Also, it is good to listen to the advice of others as we get older. Of course it is ultimately we who must make the final decisions as to what we do, and what we leave for others to do. But often others can see in us the decline that comes with old age, and can make suggestions as to things that we might be better to give up.
In summary then, we must be ready to strike a balance between continuing to do some of the things that we did when we were younger, and on the other hand, knowing when to give up doing certain things that we are no longer able to do properly.
W. J. Prost
Human and Divine Circumstances
2 Corinthians 1 and 12
The contrast between Paul’s circumstances in chapter 1 and in chapter 12 of this epistle is very striking, for he begins in the very opposite way to that which marks us generally. It is natural for us to start with our own troubles and pressure, and then perhaps to go on to tell of the comfort and consolation ministered by God to us. But the Apostle begins with the “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies”; thus beginning, not at the stream, but the blessed fountain head itself. Then he comes down to the stream, “that we may be able to comfort,” etc. It was not a going up to God from that, but from God Himself, he comes down to the comfort ministered. It makes an immense difference at what end we begin. This poor world has always been the place where we can find broken hearts and weeping eyes; who can dry those tears or bind up those hearts but God Himself! Still, the human need, however great, is no measure of His comfort.
It is a real comfort to the heart in such a scene to know God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; it is in this capacity He meets a poor tempest tossed pilgrim on his way to glory. It is blessed, amid all that we meet with in the wilderness, to know there was One who tasted unmeasured trouble and sorrow; in our case it is all measured, and oh, with what skill and care too. He allots the weight, and He gives also His power, His strength, to sustain. All goes on under His hands; no amount even of God-given consolation in the midst of the troubles here could ever be the measure of His heart.
The Source of Mercy
Observe how the Apostle rises to the source here: “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.” He is the spring and source of every mercy — it is all mercy every step of the way; every trouble even is in mercy, all His blessed way with us are mercy; Paul starts from the source of all, even from the blessed God Himself, in whom is perfect fullness and divine sufficiency. Then he comes down to what is ministered from this source through vessels of sovereign choice; that which he himself had passed through was the needed preparation for this ministry through him.
But, further, see how the Corinthians were in the mind of the blessed God; hence the servant is afflicted and is passed through heights and depths of trial, through every variety of circumstance (2 Cor. 11). This is so there might be displayed the power of the Christ, and that the very same power might go out through him and reach them. How different from the world’s, and our own natural thought — to be bowed down to, made something of, applauded, is what the flesh craves and the world accords; but to suffer for His blessed name’s sake, is the divine way, and full of present and eternal glory.
There Is a Reason
Then, besides, there is a reason, a “needs be” for all these afflictions and conflicts. First, on our side, it is “that we should not trust in ourselves”; this is a great point, those who know their own hearts, know the deep-seated confidence in self which lies rooted there. Oh, nothing but the displacing power of death can get rid of that; then that very death removes the hindrances to confidence in Him, “in God which raiseth the dead.”
Then, further, there is a “needs be” on God’s side for all these siftings and trials, they are His opportunities or occasions to display Himself in the love that never overlooks or forgets His own. He draws near at such moments and makes Himself known as “the God of all comfort”; as “God who comforteth those that are cast down”; “as one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you.” These are His own gracious words in a past day, not less true today. Thus He turns the sorrows and afflictions of these poor scenes to His own account, displaying in them a tenderness and a compassion that overlooks none.
God’s School
Thus it is that we are educated and trained in God’s school, in order that as servants and vessels of His own, we may be fit for His use. Everything must be fully tested and proved. If we are walking with God in the secret life of our souls within, we must be conscious how little we are able to help one another. It is painful to observe how well able we appear to be to find out the weak points in one another, but the ability through grace to remove these is another thing, and to do it in all the tenderness of one who as “a nurse cherisheth her children.”
How blessed the service which has such an object and is rendered in such a spirit. Whatever be the call or demand, whether what we have spoken of, or whether comfort or consolation, all alike flows in the grace of Christ, from him who has learned it in God’s school. May our hearts, by His Spirit’s power be divinely receptive of such blessed ways of our Father God for Christ’s sake.
W. T. Turpin
The Golden Years
The example of the eighty-year-old Barzillai gives us clues of how to have happy, fruitful golden years. The way he cared for King David when he fled from Jerusalem is a beautiful example of one approaching the time of departure from this world and yet faithfully attentive to the earthly cares of others. Those who know the Lord Jesus as Savior can look for His imminent return to take all living believers home without dying, while facing the challenge of how to finish the race well, as our minds, bodies and souls wear out. “Indeed we who are in the tabernacle groan, being burdened; while yet we do not wish to be unclothed, but clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now he that has wrought us for this very thing is God, who also has given to us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, and know that while present in the body we are absent from the Lord, (for we walk by faith, not by sight); we are confident, I say, and pleased rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. Wherefore also we are zealous, whether present or absent, to be agreeable to Him” (2 Cor. 5:4-9 JND).
Kindness to David
Three special people brought provisions and showed kindness to David when he fled from Jerusalem at the uprising of Absalom (2 Sam. 17:27-29), but of the three only Barzillai is mentioned as following through with the care of David and his family until they were back over Jordan on their way to Jerusalem. “Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man” (2 Sam. 19:32). How touching to see him following through to the end, though he was a very aged man. Being old himself, he was well aware of how hard it was for David to be deprived of his daily needs, so he went all the way from Rogelim to the Jordan along with the king. In response to this kindness, David desired that Barzillai go on to Jerusalem to be with him and that he might feed him there. No doubt a kinship had formed between them during this time, but Barzillai realized he was too old to accept the offer.
David’s Kindness
How could Barzillai graciously decline David’s invitation to be with him? Barzillai proposes to send Chimham, who was likely his son; he would be sent to take his place as a servant to be with David. Along with this suggestion, Barzillai adds these words: “Do to him what shall seem good unto thee.” To this David responded by saying, “Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good to thee.” They completely trusted each other, and in regards to doing good to one another, each regarded the other better than himself. It is a remarkable example of serving one another in love. In the course of this conversation David speaks last; his words were, “Whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee.” It seems to reflect the thought that in this life he would always be indebted to Barzillai. I would like to think that David’s Son, the Lord Jesus, will make it up and give Barzillai a place near Himself in the coming kingdom.
Three Handicaps of Old Age
Let us notice from their conversation the reasons Barzillai gives for his not being able to go with the king, for it shows how he handled the limitations he had due to his age. “Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem? I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear anymore the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?” (2 Sam. 19:34-35). Like the great woman of Shunem, he was content with the Lord’s provision and did not wish for better conditions from the king. Yes, “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6). One marvels at how solicitous he was to help the king’s household with provisions, while at the same time ready on his own part to leave those mercies behind. In saying, “How long have I to live,” he showed no craving to make his life last longer; he appeared ready to leave those things behind. He is much like Paul who knew much more of what the future life was like and who, when faced with the issue of staying or leaving, said, “If to live in flesh is my lot, this is for me worth the while: and what I shall choose I cannot tell. But I am pressed by both, having the desire for departure and being with Christ, for it is very much better, but remaining in the flesh is more necessary for your sakes; but if to live in flesh is my lot, this is for me worth the while: and what I shall choose I cannot tell. But I am pressed by both, having the desire for departure and being with Christ, for it is very much better, but remaining in the flesh is more necessary for your sakes” (Phil. 1:22-24 JND).
The Loss of Discernment
The reasons Barzillai gave for declining to go with David have to do with the limitations of his mind, body and soul. He said to David, “Can I discern between good and evil.” This has to do with the mind; he lacked good discernment. If he went with David, he would have to make new choices which would be difficult for him. Solomon wrote of this difficulty concerning old age in Ecclesiastes 12:5: “The grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home.” As we grow old, little things become a challenge, and it is difficult to discern what is good and what is not; as the mind fails, we become dependent on others. It would not be good for Barzillai to go with David.
As believers in the Lord Jesus, we too may be faced with declining mental alertness, but we have reason not to faint, for “though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:16-18).
Food for the Body
Barzillai continues with a second reason: “Can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink?” His body was no longer capable of appreciating good food and drink, and yet he had been so diligent in providing these things for David and his family in their need. His own incapacity to enjoy such things did not hinder him from providing the same for those who were able to enjoy it. An aged servant of the Lord wrote the following concerning service while waiting for the Lord to take him home:
“When we have settled we are going home, we have to wait here till He calls. He may keep us for service if He does not take us to rest. ... We are His, not our own, and it is a privilege to serve, if better to be gone. I find it a good thing to think of going, and feel my life depends on Him — not simply on age.”
Song for the Soul
The third inability Barzillai spoke of involved his soul — the enjoyment of singing. “Can I hear anymore the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?” This likely refers not only to his inability to enjoy singing for the good of his own soul, but also to his diminished capacity to give expression to his joy in a suitable way before the king, for he added that he did not want to be a burden to his lord the king. What a heart-warming example of one sacrificing his soul for the good of his lord!
We see this same self-sacrificing attitude in Paul when he said, “Holding forth the word of life, so as to be a boast for me in Christ’s day, that I have not run in vain nor labored in vain. But if also I am poured out as a libation on the sacrifice and ministration of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice in common with you all. In like manner do ye also rejoice, and rejoice with me” (Phil. 2:16-18 JND). And farther down in the same book Paul reminds us of how we will receive new bodies, so that our minds and souls may enjoy life with Him in heaven. “We await the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, who shall transform our body of humiliation into conformity to His body of glory, according to the working of the power which He has even to subdue all things to Himself” (Phil. 3:20-21 JnD).
The “Olden Years”
In the year 2026 we live close to the time when the Lord will gather His wheat harvest to heaven (Matt. 13:30). The fulfillment of His promise is near: “I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3). The wheat harvest is different from that of the vine and figs, in that as wheat ripens, it turns golden in color and the plant dies. Fig trees and grape vines do not die when they bear fruit, and thus it will be in the time of millennial blessing on earth; men will live long while bearing fruit. God has chosen us for heavenly blessing, and as wheat dies when it bears fruit, so Christ the grain of wheat died, rose again and ascended into heaven, opening it up for us as our home. Let us look up, “for the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16-17). The time of harvest is near; may there be much fruit for the Lord. “Thus shall the entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be richly furnished unto you” (2 Peter 1:11 JnD).
Barzillai faced the issues in his old age in the right way, so as to turn his “olden years” into “golden years.” Let us do the same (for we face similar experiences), that when the temporal things fail, we “may be received into the eternal tabernacles” (Luke 16:9 JND). “As [were] all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding” (1 Chron. 29:15). “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. ... So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psa. 90:10,12).
D. C. Buchanan
Finishing Well
We read in the Word of God of those who began well, but who did not finish well. Likewise, we read of those who began poorly, but who ended well. Finally, we read of those who both began well and finished well. Surely we would all like to be in the last group. What are some of the attitudes and behaviors that accompany this productive and happy Christian life?
First of all, to begin well means that we must start when we are young. Good habits that are made when we are young will persist throughout our lifetime; it is important to establish them early. The regular reading of the Bible and regular time in prayer every day are most important. Also, reading our good written ministry will pay huge dividends if begun early. These are the years when we can remember the best. Let us make good use of them!
In our later years, when our faculties are weaker — our eyesight, our memories, our concentration, and our general bodily strength are all declining. It is important not to give up our daily reading and prayer, and more than this, it is important not to stop “growing in grace.” It becomes harder and harder to memorize and retain things, but the constant refreshment of the things of the Lord makes it all worthwhile. As we are reminded in 2nd Corinthians 4, the “outward man” may perish, but the “inward man” can be renewed “day by day.”
Another important thing to remember as we get older is that our bodies and particularly our minds often do not function as they did before. More than this, wrong tendencies and sins to which we are especially subject, that we have been able to control previously with human energy, may begin to “have dominion over me” (Psalm 19:13). David recognized the potential for this in his own life, and evidently prayed beforehand that it might not happen. If we see this happening to us, it is never too late to ask the Lord for help in overcoming that particular sin. Sadly, I have seen more than one saint of God who was much used of the Lord, yet spoiled his/her testimony in old age by refusing to judge a serious character flaw or a sin that “so easily beset” them (Heb. 12:1). We are never beyond correction, either by our brethren or by the Lord.
Connected with this is another most important point, namely, that we must learn to recognize our limitations in order to finish well. We see this in King David’s life, when he went out to fight against the Philistines. It is recorded that he “waxed faint,” and one of the sons of the giant, with a new sword (or, new armor) “thought to have slain David.” Abishai came to David’s rescue, and from that point on David’s men told him that he should not go out any longer to battle. This was wise counsel, and it appears that David respected it. We must learn to “serve [our] own generation by the will of God” (Acts 13:36), and then be willing to allow others to take over.
As we get older, we should be willing to surround ourselves with those whom we can trust to be faithful with us, and give us constructive criticism. We read in Ecclesiastes 4:13, “Better is a poor and a wise child (or youth, JND trans.) than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.” Sometimes we who are older can get the mistaken idea that we know everything, and then we can refuse to take advice. The verse quoted from Ecclesiastes 4 would imply that there was a time when the king would take admonishment, but that as he got older, he refused instruction and help. This is very sad, for instead of setting a good example for younger ones, the older one teaches them arrogance and pride. Let us take care what we pass on to younger generations. We must remember that when men and women who have been godly allow that in their life which is wrong, they lend the weight of their godliness to that evil which they allow. To take constructive criticism, to be ready to apologize, and to be humble, are good character traits for all of us, but especially for those who are older. Rather than lowering us in the eyes of those who are younger, these qualities enhance our standing before them, and increase their respect for us.
Finally, let us remember that if we want to be happy, we should continue to evangelize. This comes easier to some than others, but we should all be ready to “give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Pet. 3:15). What a joy it is to speak well of Christ, and of the hope that is before us! As long as we are in this world, there will be souls to lead to Christ. Also, even if we do not see the results down here, yet the Lord is glorified every time the gospel is preached. Also, we will doubtless see many up in glory with whom we shared the gospel, but did not see the result down here. This was also Paul’s desire, and he expressed this wish to the Ephesian elders — “that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).
At the end of his life, Paul could say, “I have combated the good combat, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7 JND). He left behind a good legacy for those like Timothy, who were left to take up the work of the Lord.
W. J. Prost
The Regrets Accompanying Later Years
It has been said that, just as the young take pleasure in anticipation, so regret is often the possession of the old. Before we go further in our walk and talk, therefore, I desire that every one of us shall face the facts and get rid, once and for all, of the things that occasion misgiving and unrest.
Again, and again, people have said: “Oh, that I could have the past thirty, forty, fifty years over again: how differently I would live!” But are we quite sure about that? We have seen that the greatest university in life is the school of experience; but since, as the poet Coleridge reminds us, experience is like the stern light of a ship at sea, which enlightens only the track that has been passed over, we could not, even with a fresh start, have the accumulated experience of those years whose failures we so deeply lament. But there is another and a deeper sense in which we may make a fresh start; and here I come to the main theme of my message. May God anoint my pen as I write, and your eyes as you read; for I have a wonderful message to deliver to you.
“Strife in Heaven”
In an old poem bearing the above title, the writer imagined himself walking the heavenly streets, when he encountered a company of the redeemed engaged in a very excited discussion. Drawing near to listen, he found that they were debating who among them was the greatest example of the divine grace of salvation.
In the debate, which was long continued, each one advanced claims to prove that he, himself, was the recipient of the greatest measure of God’s free grace. It was finally decided that the question should be settled by vote. In process of time the list of competitors was reduced to two. These two were then invited each to state his own case to the company.
The first of the two to speak was a very old man. He declared that it was absolutely impossible that God’s grace could have done more for any man than it had done for him. He said that he had led a vile and vicious life. He had been a liar, a thief, a blasphemer, a drunkard, and a murderer. On his deathbed he had confessed his guilt, and, by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, he was forgiven.
The other man just said that he came to the Savior when he was a boy. He had always led a quiet and peaceful life, full of the joys that Christ gives.
The vote was taken — and, to the surprise of the writer, the result was in favor of the second speaker. The poet learned the mightier truth, that the grace which, through the long years, can keep a man true, in the midst of much that would drag him from the path of integrity, is an infinitely greater thing than the mercy that washes white the scarlet stains of repentant profligacy. A fence at the top of a precipice is better than a hospital at the bottom; prevention is better than cure.
That old story illustrates many points about the gospel of the grace of God. It tells us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; that the man whom divine grace kept in the paths of righteousness was as dependent upon the cleansing blood of the Redeemer, as was he who had strayed into the ways of sin; that both were saved by the matchless kindness of heaven. As he neared the end of his earthly career an eminent preacher once said: “I throw overboard my good works and my bad works, and sail to glory on the plank of free grace.”
How the Past May be Blotted Out
But what about the men and women who have not yet come into personal touch with the Lord Jesus; who have not yet received Him as Savior; who know not the joy of sins forgiven? These are just the loved ones that I desire most earnestly to help, and if you will follow me carefully for a little, as a lowly servant of the Lord Jesus, I will show you how the past may be blotted out, how the present may be filled with gladness, and how the heart that has, perchance, been lacerated by remorse may, from this hour, find healing, and enter into rest. As, however, old folks like young people, are fond of stories, I will perhaps achieve my purpose most effectively by telling you of some things that happened in America.
Fifty years ago Peter Bilhorn, an American evangelist and singer, was mightily used of God in that vast land. About the year 1900 he received from a friend a clipping from the Youth’s Companion, containing the poem, “The Bird with the Broken Wing,” which was written by Hezekiah Butterworth. The message of the poem, in brief, was that the wounded bird was the most tragic of sights; that it served mainly as a warning — that its powers of achievement were practically finished.
“For the bird with the broken pinion
Never soars as high again.”
Peter’s friend suggested that here was something worth setting to music; and, after some effort, the singer prepared a musical score for the words, and placed it in his portfolio.
Some weeks later, Bilhorn was invited to conduct a gospel meeting in the Iowa State Prison at Fort Madison. Just before the close of the meeting the chaplain said: “Sing us one more song, Peter,” and, without thinking where he was, or how it would sound, Bilhorn picked up the sheet of the new song, seated himself at the organ, and sang it to the prisoners.
When he had finished, a strange thing happened. A convict, a young man down in the center, sprang to his feet, and, holding on to the seat in front of him said: “Chaplain, is that true? If what he has been singing is true, there is no hope for me or a lot of us here.” And he dropped back into his seat with a sob.
Mr. Bilhorn at once realized the dreadful blunder which he had made, but it was too late to explain or apologize. He went back to Chicago saying: “It’s not true; it’s not true. There must be another verse added to that song.” A few days later he wrote:
“But the soul that comes to Jesus
Is saved from every sin;
And the heart that fully trusts Him
Shall a crown of glory win.
“Then come to the dear Redeemer,
He will cleanse you from every stain,
By the grace that He freely gives you,
You shall higher soar again.”
Then he sat down and wrote to the chaplain asking for the privilege of a return visit to the prison for another service. Three weeks later he was there. During the service he made his apology, and sang the song with the new verse added.
The Sequel
But that is not the end of the story. In May, 1918 — nearly twenty years afterward — Mr. Bilhorn was at a camp in Illinois, singing for the Y.M.C.A. On a Sunday morning, at the close of a meeting, a tall, splendid-looking officer in a colonel’s uniform came down the aisle to the platform, put out his hand, and said: “Hello, Bilhorn. You don’t remember me, but I do you. You visited Fort Madison prison eighteen years ago, and sang about, The Bird with the Broken Wing.” “Yes,” said Peter,” and every time I think of it I am filled with shame.” “Well,” said the colonel, “I am the man who asked if the song was true; and when you came back weeks later and gave your testimony, and then sang the new verse, I gave my heart to Jesus Christ. I was able to rise. I am now the colonel of a regiment of infantry preparing to go overseas. By God’s grace one can higher soar again.”
I wonder if any reader, filled with regret because of the past, feels as the colonel did in his young days, before he heard the new verse which Mr. Bilhorn added to the song? It is not necessary to stand behind prison bars for us to become sinners in the sight of God. Every one of us — the writer as much as any of its readers — comes under that category.
“All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:23,10). If we take the place of the sinner, then are we in the place where heaven’s choicest gift — a full and a free salvation — can reach us. It was for sinners that Jesus died (1 Tim. 1:15). And, my friends, be assured of the heartiest of welcomes from Him if to Him you come. “If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared” (Psa. 130:3-4). “Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out,” says our Savior (John 6:37). He is not willing that any should perish, and can save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him (2 Peter 3:9; Heb. 7:25). He frankly forgives (Luke 7:42). He abundantly pardons (Isa. 55:7).
The White Sheet
I read recently of a wayward boy who had wandered from home, and spent his days and nights in riotous living in the city. Eventually he came to an end of himself, and wrote to his mother asking for forgiveness, and expressing a desire to return. He told her that one day he would pass near the old home, and that, if he saw a white sheet on the clothesline, he would take that as a sign that he would be welcome. Mother-like, the one who yearned most for his home-coming, gathered up every sheet in the house and hung them on the line! That was her way of saying to her boy, what God says to us in Isa. 55:7: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”
Henry Durbanville (adapted)
Treasure in Earthen Vessels
The Lord puts me through circumstances that put me to the test. If death came and found me a dead man, what effect would it have? What is killing a dead man? With the Apostle the flesh was kept down, and he was looking to God. He says, “We were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life” (2 Cor. 1:8); but we trusted in God, who raises the dead. Would their killing him prevent God’s raising him? It would bring it nearer. We can bless God for it. He puts down the flesh that needs putting down. “Death worketh in us, but life in you.” Death was working in Paul, and nothing but life worked as regards others. O that it were so with us!
All For Your Good Includes Old Age
The practical effect of it is, “All things are for your sakes.” When self is down, I begin to think the thoughts of God; and everything is for us. I see “all things are yours ... life ... death ... things present ... things to come ... And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s” (1 Cor. 3:21-23). Do you believe that “all things are for your sakes”? That all that happens in the world, no matter what the motives that govern men in it, everything is for your sakes? He makes everything work together for your good — every circumstance in your life. They may not be pleasant, but we have not to be occupied with them as the world is. God overrules all. He lets man go on, but makes the wrath of man to praise Him (Psalm 76:10). Peter says, in Acts 2, You, by wicked hands, crucified and slew Him; but it was by the “determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.” We want only to have confidence that He has a purpose, and that purpose is to glorify His Son. Whatever is needed for that, He will do. If my eyes are straightforward to glorify Him, everything goes right. If I go against His path, He will knock me over. If I am in His path, He helps me on, but I must be there with His strength. Paul says, “We faint not.” I do not go in my own strength. I may be weary or weak, but it is God. I may be faint in my mind; but “when I am weak, then am I strong.” “The inward man is renewed day by day.” Dependence is renewed. You never get in the grace of today strength for tomorrow. If I have learned in it more of Christ, it is profit for eternity, of course; but if manna was kept a day it stank; it became self-righteous. You must be dependent every instant. Every trouble gives the apprehension of what is to come. Never mind, he says, it is a “light affliction”; the inward man is not touched; it is “renewed day by day”; and we get blessing by these very things.
J. N. Darby
Gray Hairs: Spiritual Decay
“Gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not” (Hos. 7:9).
Gray hairs appropriately mantle the brow of age, and in the way of righteousness are a crown of glory. They tell us that our earthly days are passing away, that the springtime and possibly the summer of life, are gone. Perhaps we are not even aware of how mentally limited we are now. Yet, how happy the thought — there need be nothing answering to this in our spiritual life. Grace is ever above nature. Hence, nature speaks of stones, but grace of living stones. Nature shows how the outward man may perish, but grace tells of the inward man being renewed day by day.
When God speaks to the heart and tells us what grace is, as with penitent and restored Ephraim, a divine renewal comes, so that away go the gray hairs, the idols, and all the other things that have come between us and God. We can say, Our “youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” “He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Oh, what obligation are we under that we should live to Him who so speaks to us, and that we should abhor everything that would grieve Him or draw from Him this tender flow of lamentation — “Gray hairs are here and there” (literally, sprinkled) “upon him, yet he knoweth not.”
Moral Decay
But note, it is evil which these words indicate. It is a moral decay which comes imperceptibly, even while the source is quite unseen. All such decays begin in the inner man. It is in the heart that there is departure from the living God. It may begin in a lack of dependence on God. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). David in all probability was never more satisfied with himself than previous to his sin, and Peter was never more confident with a fleshly confidence than before his fall. The decay sets in before the effects become visible.
Many things will produce it, and an undue mingling with the world will bring it on. What brought on this decay in Israel was mixing with the heathen. God had told Moses that they were to keep separate. If not, they would intermarry, and if they intermarried, they would have introduced among them the gods of those to whom they were married. It is the same now; voluntarily mixing with the world is sure to bring evil. The springs of life become dried up. Could you have a worldly scene and prayer? No! A worldly company and the Word of God, with the Savior the theme? No; he may glide along the current of these new worldly circumstances with a conscience seared as to his sin, like Ephraim. “Gray hairs are ... upon him, yet he knoweth not.” But he has no peace, no joy.
The Causes
Second, some sin may cause this decay. It may be a thing, or it may be a person, but it is sin, and it cleaves to us, comes between God and our souls, and is an idol which divides our affections from God. It may be unbelief or a temptation ever seeking to succeed. If either of these is allowed, the result must be decay in the spiritual life.
The idol of our fancy may be something lovely — some habit which has taken the place of God, some attraction or attainment on which pride sits, or some satisfaction of self.
Third, a neglect of the Word will produce it. No one can even slight it without suffering loss. Backsliding most frequently has its beginning here. Decay must come where this is lacking. How, unless fed by the Word, are we fitted for service or trial or conflict with the enemy? When the soul is not fed, we are more fitted for the hospital than the battlefield. The Word is the only true food for the soul, made such by the Spirit of God, whose delight is to use it for our own good. “If I would be filled with the Spirit,” said the devoted McCheyne, “I must read my Bible more, pray more, and watch more. In the morning I must see the face of God before I see the face of man, or undertake any duty.” It is the noblest science to know how to live in hourly communion with God in Christ. The Word leads to Christ, Christ to God. Hence the supply is infinite, and joined to Him, how available it is as well as infinite.
Communion
Fourth, neglect of communion brings decay. Are we saying with Job, It is not with me “as in months past ... when His candle shined upon my head”? (Job 29:2-3.) Or with Cowper —
“Where is the blessedness I knew
When first I saw the Lord?”
There may be confession, but not blessedness, nor communion; communion is more than simple prayer. It is that which we enjoy as common between ourselves and God; we speak to God of His grace and righteousness, His holiness and love; He tells us in His Word of the same. We speak to Him of what Christ is — our beloved Savior. He tells us of His beloved Son. It is through His Word by the Spirit that we can enjoy such communion. If it is broken or lost, the result is decay.
How often may our very feelings tell of this decay. We try, as in days past, to pray; but, cold and lifeless, we utter words only; we do not pray. Compared with former unction, there is only helplessness. We take up the Word, but where is the quick discernment of the truth we once so sweetly enjoyed? It was said by the blessed Lord, that “He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned” (Isa. 50:4). He was thus of quick understanding, had an aptitude to know and receive that law of the Lord which was His delight. Truly such an understanding He had, so that He grew in wisdom and in all else that formed His holy and perfect life.
Are there not times when we too, have had such an understanding — a mind quick to perceive, and capacity to retain, what we receive of the Word, and to follow the light which it gave? Failing this, and in times of spiritual declension, the spiritual understanding becomes dull, and the mind closed, as if it had come to pass that which is written, “From him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have” (Luke 8:18). Ah, then the state is darkness, when the wild beasts come forth, especially the roaring lion, who goes about seeking whom he may devour. On the other hand, when the soul is restored, He pours into us grace and all good. It will be thus with Israel. It was so with Peter when restored; the love, deep and unchanging, of the Lord filled his heart. David also, and so with us. When iniquity is gone the Lord will give in its place the quick understanding, and a conscience happy and at rest in His presence. But oh, meanwhile, what an anomaly — a child of God under decay! One who is an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ under decay!
J. Denham Smith
Do Not Faint
The Greek word translated as “faint” (en-kakaeo [1722/2556]; ek-kakaeo [1573]), has a more literal meaning, as to “give in to evil.” Its root word (kakos) is evil in a moral sense, referring to the absence of the qualities which make up what a person should be (or claims to be). It also has behind it the meaning “to turn coward,” for one to “lose heart,” or “to be discouraged.” In this aspect, it is best translated “to give into despondency,” as shown through either our feelings or our actions (extreme discouragement, gloominess, and depression). It is in a basic sense to lose hope. In context of the teaching Jesus puts forth of the unjust judge, the eighth verse contains what I believe is both an encouragement and a warning in relation to this use in the question He poses. “Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth”? (Luke 18:8).
This is where I see that, “not to faint,” or better, “not to give in to evil,” is to encourage and warn us not to lose faith by ceasing to pray. We are to pray always, holding fast to our Lord, regardless of however long it may be before He answers our prayers, or that He answers in a way we may not see or understand. Our faith is to be of reliance on Him in all situations. It is of His interests and service, from a heart reflecting His own love back to Him that He has given toward us.
To give up in prayer is to “give in to evil” by doubting the Lord’s care and His desire for us to come to Him. This is whether it is to doubt if He is listening, or in thinking that He refuses to hear, or that we “feel” we are undeserving to be heard. It is to “give up” faith which relies on our Lord’s purpose and timing in every aspect of life, especially in time of suffering, persecution, or trial. Even in times of loneliness and sorrow, or in “unanswered” intercession for another, it is not meant for us to faint.
A. Yerkey
Not Growing Old
They say that I am growing old;
I’ve heard them tell it times untold,
In language plain and bold—
But I am NOT growing old.
This frail old shell in which I dwell
Is growing old, I know full well—
But I am not the shell.
What if my hair is turning gray?
Gray hairs are honorable, they say.
What if my eyesight’s growing dim?
I still can see to follow him
Who sacrificed His life for me
Upon the cross of Calvary.
What should I care if Time's old plow
Has left its furrows on my brow?
Another house, not made with hand,
Awaits me in the Glory Land.
What though I falter in my walk?
What though my tongue refuse to talk?
I still can tread the narrow way,
I still can watch, and praise and pray,
My hearing may not be as keen
As in the past it may have been,
Still, I can hear my Saviour say,
In whispers soft, “This is the way.”
The outward man, do what I can
To lengthen out this life’s short span,
May perish, may return to dust,
Until He comes, it is a must.
The inward man, the Scriptures say,
Is growing stronger every day.
Then how can I be growing old
When safe within my Saviour’s fold?
Ere long my soul shall fly away
And leave this tenement of clay;
This robe of flesh I'll drop, and rise
To seize the "everlasting prize."
I'll meet you on the street of gold,
And prove that I'm not growing old.
John E. Roberts