Written by Deanna Brooks, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas
Today’s world encourages us to begin saving and investing for retirement with the goal of retiring as early as possible to live a life of leisure.
But… is that found in Scripture? Our Creator in His infinite wisdom made us so that (unless disease sets in) we can continue to learn and serve our entire life.
One of the sweetest promises is in Revelation 2:10b (ESV), “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
The apostle John was probably between the age of 80 and 90 and had endured persecution when he wrote these words of Jesus after seeing a vision of heaven—the place Jesus told His disciples He was preparing (John 14:1-3).
Other Bible characters come to mind when I think about continuing to learn, serve, and be faithful.
Noah was 500 years old and had never seen what God told him about, but he believed and obeyed in faith, building the ark that saved his family from the flood.
When God called Abram at age 75, he left his homeland and the idolatry that was prevalent there and followed God in faith. It was another 25 years before the promised son was born, and during these years of waiting, Abraham continued to learn of God’s faithfulness. When he was told to take his son Isaac to Mount Moriah and offer him as a sacrifice, he obeyed because he believed God could raise him from the dead (Heb. 11:17-19). In James 2:23, we read, “And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’—and he was called a friend of God,” faithful until his death at age 175.
Joseph was sold into slavery at age 17, approximately 12 years before his grandfather Isaac died. How often did Joseph hear his aged blind grandfather speak of the trip to Mt Moriah and other stories of faith, keeping those precious words in his heart of how God kept His promises?
Genesis 50:20-21 shows us Joseph’s faith which led him to show kindness towards his brothers.
“’As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”
Moses reached his peak beginning at age 80, 40 years after fleeing the palace of Egypt. During the last 40 years of his life, he met with God, learning to follow God as he led approximately two million Israelites out of Egypt, then wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.
Solomon asked of the LORD: “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil...” (1 Kings 3:9). However, later Solomon chose to make alliances with foreign nations, taking foreign wives, and building places for worshiping their foreign gods. Towards the end of his life, Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes, saying that the pleasures he chased were meaningless, and closing with these words in 12:13b, “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
Daniel was a prophet during the reign of six kings who ruled the Babylonian and Medo-Persian empires for about 70 years. Daniel had three events where he faced near-certain death, found in chapters 1, 2, and 6. He prophesied about the Messiah who would come during the last great ancient empire… the Roman Empire.
Luke 2:22-48 tells of Simeon and the widow Anna, aged 84, who never left the temple, “worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day” (v. 37b). The Lord had told Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. When Joseph and Mary went to the temple for Mary’s purification, Simeon exalted the baby Jesus and prophesied words of warning to Mary. Anna gave thanks to God and spoke about the Child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
Sometimes life is overwhelming, and we have to simply trust Paul’s words in Philippians 1:6: “…he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.”
Like those who have gone before us, let us all “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14), ”running with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:1b-2a).
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