Joshua 13:1
“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.”
They say that things get better with age, and most things should. With age comes wisdom. With age comes the blessings of grandchildren. With age comes blessings of receiving the fruits of your labors. Yes, age can also bring its aches and pains, but there are many good things that can come with age.
You goal in life ought to be to get better with age. Joshua certainly got better with age. He didn’t let his age stop him from serving the LORD. Joshua was at least sixty years of age when he led the children of Israel into the Promised Land. In the verse above, he was close to eighty, and yet he still had a vision to do great things for the LORD.
Though I am currently in the middle years of life, I have studied those who have aged and tried to learn from them so that I can become better with age. I don’t want to get old and become useless. When I get old, I may not have the energy I have right now, but I want to make sure that I don’t let age stop me from being all that God wants me to be. If you are going to get better with age, then there are some things of which you must be careful.
First, don’t let age cause you to compromise. The word “stricken” means to be worn out. I have watched many elderly people let up in what they used to believe. You must be careful that age doesn’t cause you change your stand on holiness. I have been around many elderly who have gotten better with age and stood stronger than they used to, but I have also been around those who have let up from what they used to be. Always remember that age is no excuse for compromise.
Second, don’t let age cause you to lose your vision. I love that Joshua was still dreaming about conquering more territory for the LORD in his old age. Because your energy level is not what it used to be, you will have to be careful that you don’t lose your vision to dream. As long as the LORD still gives you breath on this Earth, then that means He still has something for you to do. When you stop dreaming, you start dying. The wisdom of age ought to show you how to attain your dreams more easily. Yes, you will have to employ others to help you with accomplishing your dreams, but if you are going to get better with age, then you must keep on dreaming.
Third, don’t let age take away your appetite to fight. In Joshua 14:11, Caleb still had the energy in his old age to fight battles. There is no doubt that most elderly people want to end their life in peace, but if you are going to do anything for the LORD, then you are going to have to fight battles till the day you die. Always remember your rest from battles comes when you get to Heaven. The younger generation needs to see the older generation still fighting for truth. If you’re going to get better with age, then you must not avoid the battles.
Everyone is going to get old someday. You may think you don’t need this devotional because you are young, but it won’t be long and you will be pushing your senior years of life. Watch as you grow older that you don’t let these three areas slip. You want to get better with age, and these three areas will help you to do so. If you are in your elderly years, be sure that you have not waned in any of these areas.