We live in a world addicted to the illusion of youth and beauty. Our culture worships at the feet of celebrity, money, power, and fame. So, we denigrate elders, ignoring lived wisdom and inherited tradition – even in church circles, rejecting the fathers of faith and making no provision for elderly feet on the church platform. Popular spiritual expression is all about Walmart-syndrome and Big Box “value return,” with lights, sounds, driving beats, and induced psychosis – if we can sense without thinking, and emote without divine order or reason, we’re good. The escapism of the big screen is transferred to big worship and called success. But it’s a deadly transaction that is still wreaking dividends of destroyed national faith.

Thankfully, the real gospel of Christ values the small, the aged, the outcast, the lonely, and the overlooked. God chooses a lesser people, unimpressive and rejected by men, and brings forth divine law and lineage of Messiah. He chooses Abraham and Sarah, long past child-bearing age, to establish the line of faith. He chooses men like Caleb, long past retirement age, to slay giants and conquer earthly kingdoms. He uses Simeon – an extremely old man waiting in the Temple – to witness Messiah Jesus and prophesy over His life and ministry. He uses Anna, a prophetess, also waiting in the Temple for Messiah. She has grown old, waiting for her Lord. The verse that describes her age is not completely clear, but from what is written, we can place Anna’s age between 84 and 105 years old – over seven decades of waiting on God! But eternally young, recorded in Scripture, and renewed in Heaven.

Some time ago, a 98-year-old man named Jerry blessed our church in special music. He sang from the depths of his soul about Jesus, with the holy love of God’s Spirit shining on his face. Yes, his voice cracked on a few notes, but his heart! The song flowed from deep within his heart and reached everyone there.

Jim Rutz tells of 90-year-old Chinese lady, Ms. Chang, who came to faith late in life. She wanted to share her faith in Christ and help others find peace with God. But faith is not exactly smiled upon by the Chinese State, and who would listen anyway? A woman, an aged woman – in a culture that did not value women or age!

So she prayed, and God gave her an idea. Near her home was a notorious “Lovers’ Leap,” where people would often go to end their life, in despair of love and life. So, she went to this cliff, and posted a small sign, “Before you commit suicide, come and see me at ___________” [and gave her address].

From that one act, with her prayer and obedience, the network of people she helped went into the thousands. No one knows the full number. God alone.

What’s the point of this meditation? Simply this: If you’re reading this, feeling too old, too outcast, too broken, too alone, and too insignificant to make a difference for God’s kingdom, take heart. God can use ANYONE, at any stage of life, no matter how old or young, for His glory. All it takes is a heart yielded to Him, daily turning away from self-pity and self-glory: Eyes beholding the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Happy New Year, friends! May this be a year of divine glory in your life. Amen