Age Old Old Age

My Mom’s youngest sister, last of her siblings, turned 90 this year. She and her husband included a verse in their Christmas letter that I simply love – and understand:

And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. (Isaiah 46:4 KJV)

She wrote:  “Seems our year has been busy, much of which has been the maintenance of life and limb.” Oh, boy, can I relate to that, even though we are almost twenty years her junior!

Maintaining life is often not easily accomplished. This past year placed David in ICU three times. Add once for surgery for him and once for me, that’s too many hospitalizations. Yet, we have maintained, against some pretty strong odds that we shouldn’t have been able to do so. That speaks well of his physicians, but equally as well for the faithful prayer partners we’ve had.

We’ve also had the promises of our Lord, age old commitments, that sustain us in our old age (even if that’s twenty years from now!) That what, hoary, hair can be considered a crown:

The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness. (Proverbs 16:31 KJV)

It’s God’s righteousness that needs to be found:

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33 KJV)

That ‘righteousness’ is the Greek δικαιοσυνην, justification. First used in Jesus’ reply to John when John wanted to decline baptizing him:

But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. (Matthew 3:14-15 KJV)

There are things to be done in achieving God’s righteousness – pretty well spelled out in His word. We’ve been told what is good, what is bad. We’ve been told how to be good, and we’ve been told what happens when we’re not. Cause/effect, actions/consequences. We’ve lived long enough to experience that reality.
God’s righteousness is available for all. Peter discovered that following a vision and meeting a man seeking God’s righteousness:

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. (Acts 10:34-35 KJV)

James reaches out to tell us to control our anger:

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. (James 1:20 KJV)

That’s something that often comes with age. Maybe that’s why Proverbs combines a hoary head with righteousness. My advice is “Don’t wait!” Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:2 – now is the accepted time. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next year. Not waiting for old age.