“Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will carry you. I have done it, and I will bear you; And I will carry you and I will save you.”
Isaiah 46:4 (NIV)
This is a beautiful verse of scripture to hold in our hearts, especially those who are in their graying years. It always feels strange to enter a new decade of life, but every year that we are given, is a gift from God. Some decades bring on new health issues, but we still continue our daily activities while taking care of our aging bodies. Today’s scripture reminds us to trust God during our graying years, because He promises to carry us through when we need Him most. Keeping this in mind, age is merely a number.
It sounds like a cliche, but there is an advantage to aging, and it’s the same advantage that an aging bottle of good wine has. As wine ages, the fermentation process enhances the flavor of the wine. Someone once said that a good wine is like grapes that found religion.
We all become wiser over the years, which is God’s fermentation process. He enhances us through the many trials and lessons of our lives. There is a special time to discover God’s newest plan for us during this fermentation phase of our lives called “the graying years”.
Getting older serves to remind us of our purpose here, and living with a sense of purpose is essential for our sense of well being. Dwight L. Moody once said this about aging: Preparation for old age should begin no later than one’s teens. A life which is empty of purpose until 65 will not suddenly become fulfilled in retirement.
It’s so true, and yet our sense of purpose changes over the years, within the different phases of our lives. We find a different sense of purpose while we are young or when raising children, than when we are retired and living in a smaller, quieter household. Every era in our life brings a new purpose, and if we keep this perspective, life will never get boring.
We were never meant to get hung up on the past, or to dwell on previous faults and failures. Whatever we confessed to God is forgiven through Jesus, so that we can start fresh. Only we can make the choice to forgive others as well as to forgive ourselves. When we let go of past injuries, we can refocus on who God wants us to be in this current phase of our life. It’s like having Jesus in a boat with us, and when the storm comes, we choose to look at Him instead of looking at the storm or our wounds.
He permits the dark clouds to enter our lives at times, but any dark cloud permitted by Jesus will surely be silver lined. It’s part of a fermentation process which enhances our character and brings new purpose to our graying years. So, for now, we trust the One who is with us in every storm and will carry us through. We don’t know what the future holds, but we know the One who holds our hand and our future, and He is whispering, “Peace, be still”.
Lord, thank you for holding on to us, carrying us through our graying years, and as we keep our hand in yours, we look forward to fulfilling the newest purpose you have for our lives. Amen
