It’s interesting to experience the changes in perspective brought about by the march of time. At age 20, 30 is old, and 50 is only one step from the nursing home. At age 30, 20 is immature, 50 is middle age, and 70 is only one step from the nursing home. At age 50, 20 is the age of your baby, 30 is the full flower of youth, and 80 is one step from the nursing home – unless you eat healthy and exercise.
When old age finally feels real, people begin to worry about their last years on earth. Anxiety is triggered by a weakening body, the possibility of serious illness, and the prospect of diminished resources due to the inability to work. And then there’s the fear of losing special loved ones along the way, a beloved spouse or even an aging son or daughter plagued by chronic health problems.
These uneasy feelings are natural. The psalmist prayed: “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent. […] So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me” (Ps. 71:9, 18).
Fear of abandonment in old age is natural, but it’s also unfounded. The Bible says, “For [God] has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear’” (Heb. 13:5-6).
It’s human nature to think that we take care of ourselves. With the strength of our own hands, we wrestle a living out of the stubborn soil. But the reality is that God gives us life, breath, and all things—whether we are 20, 30, 50, or 80. So let’s put our trust in him! He will never cast us off.