Faith Filled Family Magazine September 2016 | Page 90

I love the account of Joshua who was mentored for 40 years by Moses who was 120 when God took his faithful friend to heaven ; and whose mantle of leadership then passed to his faithful lieutenant .
Joshua 14:10-11 ‘ And now , behold , the LORD has kept me alive , just as he said , these fortyfive years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses , while Israel walked in the wilderness . And now , behold , I am this day eighty-five years old . I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me ; my strength now is as my strength was then , for war and for going and coming .’
It is apparent when we read the full account of Joshua ’ s life in Exodus and Joshua that God indeed used Joshua as a young man , when he began to show a strong faith and leadership qualities . However he needed to learn so much before God decided he was ready to become the warrior-leader of the tribes of Israel , when at last they entered the Promised Land and faced the Canaanites .
Job 12:12 ESV ‘ Wisdom is with the aged , and understanding in length of days .’
Read about old Simeon in , Luke 2:21-32 NIV ‘ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord ’ s Messiah .’ A few verses on we see another example of young faith meeting mature faith . The King only eight days old , his teenage mother and step-father probably around thirty and an elderly women coming together in a glorious fulfilment of prophesy .
Luke 2:36-38 NIV ‘ There was also a prophetess , Anna , the daughter of Penuel , of the tribe of Asher . She was very old ; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage , and then was a widow until she was eighty-four . She never left the temple but worshipped night and day , fasting and praying . Coming up to them at that very moment , she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem .’
What an amazing women of faith ! Her ministry was to worship God in the Temple at Jerusalem for decades , until the fulfilment of prophesies in Isaiah and other scriptures was revealed in Jesus as a baby . She wasn ’ t told who he was by Mary and Joseph , but knew in her spirit that this tiny child was the Messiah as soon as she saw him . It seems God timing and His understanding of time is far beyond our understanding .
Cor 4:16 NASB ‘ Therefore we do not lose heart but though our outer man is decaying , yet our inner man is being renewed day by day .’
This suggests ‘ writing off ’ a person for being too old is to contradict God ; so are we putting a curse on ourselves or someone else by saying ; we are of no real value simply because we have some wrinkles , arthritis or grey hair ? Two of the most encouraging people I know are in their nineties and they have been married 70 years , and have given so much to generations of people and still have an amazing pastoral and prayer ministry . This couple are cherished by thousands of people they have been Jesus to .
Psalm 92:14 ESV ‘ They still bear fruit in old age ; they are ever full of sap and green .’
God gives wisdom to those who ask from a place of humility . Our purposes may change as we grow older , but in God ’ s eyes our value is never diminished by advancing years or anything else for that matter . It is who we are as God ’ s children that determines our true value . The more we understand this and respond to our brothers and sisters in love , the less we are likely to judge each other by any criteria that comes from man ’ s foolish and limited understanding .
2 Corinthians 4:16 ESV ‘ So we do not lose heart . Though our outer self is wasting away , our inner self is being renewed day by day .’
‘ Does any age disqualify you from fulfilling what God wants you to do with your life ?’
Acts 2:17 ESV ‘ In the last days , God says , ‘ I will pour out my Spirit on all people . Your sons and daughters will prophesy , your young men will see visions , your old men will dream dreams .’
2 Corinthians 3:18 . ESV ‘ And we all , who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord ’ s glory , are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory , which comes from the Lord , who is the Spirit .