“So here I [Caleb] am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”1
A former mentor of mine, the late Cecil Osborne, spent most of his working years as the pastor of a church that helped found a number of daughter churches. He also saw the need for a counseling ministry for hurting people and when he retired from the pastorate at or about age 65, he set up a full-time counseling ministry. He was close to age 60 when he published his first of a dozen books, The Art of Understanding Yourself,” and kept counseling until he was well into his 80s.
Numerous other people have seen great achievements in their senior years. For example, “Cervantes completed Don Quixote when he was nearing 70. Clara Barton, at 59, founded the American Red Cross. Goethe finished the dramatic poem ‘Faust’ at 82. Verdi composed ‘Othello’ at 73, ‘Falstaff’ in his late seventies. Benjamin Disraeli became Prime Minister of England for the second time at 70.”2
“Pablo Picasso was still painting at age 91. Arturo Toscanini gave his last performance at 87. Konrad Adenauer was chancellor of West Germany at 87. And the accomplishments of many senior members of God’s Kingdom would make an even more impressive story if they could all be told.”3
Admittedly, in Caleb’s day people lived much longer than we do today. Nevertheless, no matter how old we are, we are never too old to serve God. Just check with your pastor and he will show you many ways you can do this.
Suggested prayer: “Dear God, whatever years I have left I want to serve you all the days of my remaining life. Please lay on my heart what I can do to be a part of your plans and what you are doing in the world today. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”
1. Joshua 14:10-12 (NIV).
2. Today in the Word (Chicago, IL: Moody Bible Institute, 1991), p. 9.
3. Ibid.
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