PROVERBS 2:29  “The glory of young men is their strength,
    but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.”

I’ve talked about how important it is for kids to know they have value.  The same is true for us old fogeys.  I think we forget that somewhere in middle age, because we’re so busy building a life – raising a family – making time for everything that has to be done.  When we’re on the outer edges of life (beginning and end) we tend to lose faith in our abilities.

I have a concern for our teens and their gnawing desire at times to end their existence because they just can’t take it anymore.  Life can be overwhelming when you’re going from one stage in life to another.  The same is true for us seniors as we see our lives melting away, our strength being sapped, our dependence on others for help, etc.  Heaven looks pretty good to most of us.  We’re promised a place of no more pain, no more sadness, no fear – only joy.  I guess even kids who grow up in Christian families with strong Christian values sometimes find this world a tough place to live in and the emphasis placed on Heaven can make the thought of being there even more enticing.

The devil has a way of twisting God’s truth.  He wants us to believe that we’re worthless – that either we aren’t capable of a good life or we’ve worn out our usefulness in it.  He also wants us to believe that death is the only answer and if we end our lives we will have eternal bliss. He makes the thought of heavenly bliss seem so much better than this life.   This is one of Satan’s biggest lies and it destroys lives every day.

WE CAN’T LET THE DEVIL DECEIVE US IN THIS WAY!

Our lives have a purpose no matter what our age.  Young and old alike still have a lot to do.  We need to join hands and work together to accomplish them.  With God at our side we can do great things.  The young can bring enthusiasm to their elders – they can help them with the physical things they can’t do anymore – they can learn from their elder’s years of experience.  The old can give back some of their knowledge and wisdom though mentoring – they can advise on career paths – they can encourage and build up their younger counterparts by helping them realize their potential and worth.

There is so much work yet to be done in this world.  It  seems the evil in this world is well on its way to overtaking the good, but our God is more powerful than anything the world has to dish out.  He is our fortress, our strength and our protector.  Put your faith in Him – not in yourself – not in the ways of this world.  If you walk in His ways, He will give you a life with abundant joy.  What is to come in heaven is the ultimate bonus – not an excuse for us to walk away from what God has planned for us.