Getting Old

 

Honest conversations are extremely important in our day to day lives as we interact with all sorts of people. Ephesians chapter 4 talks about “speaking the truth with your neighbor” and the same chapter states we should “speak the truth in love.”  Speaking the truth goes back to the 10 commandments where God stated, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

Joshua was a great man of God and he led the children of Israel into the promised land. As Joshua was nearing the end of his life, God made this statement to him in the beginning of

Joshua chapter 13; “You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed.” I don’t know if you write or underline in your bible, but I put a smiley face in the margin by that verse. God is speaking the truth to Joshua in love. God didn’t try and sugar coat anything and God certainly wasn’t harsh in this statement, it was just a statement of fact, a truth spoken by a loving God; Joshua you are old.

Joshua was a hard charger but God now wanted him to just divide the portions of the land and not go and try and conquer the rest of the land God was giving to Israel. The things we do change as we get older. The tasks we used to accomplish with ease are now very difficult and time consuming, if we are able to do them at all. We need to use the wisdom that we hopefully have accumulated in the years we have lived. It is not that we sit around and do nothing, but there are certain things that should be passed on to the generation coming up after us.

Ps 90:12 states, “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” There are things to accomplish when we are younger and different areas of achievement as we get older. God doesn’t put us out to pasture as we get older, He just has different tasks for us to do. God in His graciousness will be reminding us of our old age when the times comes for that truthful and loving reminder.

Pastor Marty