“Taste the fruit of another’s ripe old age and your soul will be satisfied having been in the presence of peace and contentment.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – October 12, 2022
Now therefore, give me [Caleb] this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.” Joshua 14:12
Imagine life as a tree with delicious fruit that requires a lifetime for ripening. The fruit tree of life persistently matures through various stages of growth…weathering storms, disease and droughts, while celebrating marriage, children, career success, and most notably, spiritual advancement. A life that depends on its gardener—God, to care for and nurture—enters into old age, not wishing for youth, but having learned life lessons of success and failure, now pours wisdom into younger men and women. Ripe old age bears the most beautiful fruit of love, wisdom and joy when you realize this is what you were born to be…not forever young, but a ripening old age of loving others.
Quit, was not in Caleb’s vocabulary, Take the next mountain was his language for a life well lived. Forty-five years earlier, as an ambitious young man of 40, he and Joshua set out on a great adventure with God, only to see the vision of experiencing the promised land delayed, because of matters out of their control. Instead of holding on to resentment as a reason for not being a faithful follower of God, Caleb reminded Joshua of Moses’s promise to give him and his children an inheritance. Wholehearted devotion in a ripe old age celebrates God’s inheritance: the fruit of a family who loves and follows Jesus and who seek to serve others in Jesus’ name.
“And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself” (Acts 20:32, NLT).
The temptation as you approach maturity in life is to artificially alter your appearance, with wrinkle free skin, gray free hair, desperately clinging to someone you are not. Resist dressing like a 30 something when you are 60 something. Ageless is not an option for those who celebrate their ripe old age. As you face the fourth quarter of living, fewer things really matter (faith, family, friends) …you grow less angry, you laugh more, you perceive fewer days on life’s horizon—a wise reminder for you to make today count for Christ. Ripe old age romances life!
Pray and look for someone older and wiser than you, who you can spend dedicated time with to bless and be blessed by her presence—to laugh together, hear stories, learn valuable life lessons. Taste the fruit of another’s ripe old age and your soul will be satisfied having been in the presence of peace and contentment. Be a joy bomb that explodes over your relationships in a manner that makes life more enjoyable to those in your path. As you approach ripe old age, luxuriate in the fruit of contemplation and gratitude, let your ego shrivel and your soul expand. As your life’s fruit ripens, taste and see that the Lord is good and taste how growing old is good.
“Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock” (Psalm 92:13-15).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me grow old with grace, celebrating having run my race with faithful love and obedience, through Christ’s love and in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
Who can I reach out to and spend time with monthly to celebrate together ripe old age.
Related Reading
Job 12:12; Psalm 1:3; Ezekiel 47:12; John 15:2; 1 Corinthians 2:6
Worship Resource
Gaither Vocal Band: 10,000 Reasons
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