17 Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.
I believe that God has given us a certain number of days here on this earth and has entrusted to us a plan, a purpose, to carry out. Some of us have devoted ourselves to live for Him since our youth, others committed to Christ in adulthood - we recognize that God has created each of us and shaped us in a certain way, so that we can be effective in what He has called us to do here and now. He has formed us with inestimable value, we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and we are His workmanship - no matter what our age or stage of life, we have the capacity to serve Him and do His will.
Psalm 90 relates to us the concept of life of purpose and fulfillment:
12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
13 Relent, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
The headline this morning at a number of websites basically contained the words, "72 is the New 30". This attracted my attention, and I then thought that, well, I'm closer to 72 than I am to 30. Instantly, I pegged this as a story about aging and how we are living longer. Indeed, that is true...
Human longevity has improved so rapidly over the past century that 72 is the new 30, scientists say.
According to a story published at CNBC.com, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock, Germany, touted the overall progress in lowering the odds of death at all ages, which has become quite rapid since 1900.
The study looked at Swedish and Japanese men – two countries with the longest life expectancy today. It concluded that their counterparts in 1800 would have had lifespans that were closer to those of the earliest hunter-gatherer humans than they would to adult men in both countries today.
Those primitive hunter gatherers, at age 30, had the same odds of dying as a modern Swedish or Japanese man would face at 72.
So, yes 72 is the new 30 - and that has great potential for the spread of the gospel and the proliferation of ministry. I believe that God will use us for His glory, no matter what age we are. I hear stories of those who have transitioned from a full-time occupation into devoting their time to doing the work of ministry. As God gives those of us that are older the gift of time in order to participate in His work, we recognize that He has perhaps enabled us to live longer and stronger so that He can express His life through us - a longer story, greater glory. So, that is one challenge for each of us individually, to maximize our days and take advantages of the opportunities that He gives.
Another concept arises from the published piece, dealing more in the macro sense...the article also says that the pace of increase in life expectancy has left industrialized economies unprepared for the cost of providing retirement income to so many for so long.
This is a phenomenon that has concerned Dr. James Dobson. He writes in a recent column that:
For the first time in history, fewer American babies are being born while the number of senior citizens is growing. Baby boomers are reaching retirement age, increasing the ranks of the elderly. At the same time, women living without a spouse outnumber those who are married. The result is a birth rate in decline. If it were not for immigration, our nation would be in serious trouble.
Dobson writes that,
When calculations were made to test the viability of Social Security in the 1930s, the numbers appeared to “work” because the young and healthy were always expected to outnumber those who were old and sick. Now politicians are talking quietly about the inevitability of “rationed health care.”
Through his novel, Fatherless and his column, he is calling on everyone, including government, to cherish families, and the creation of children. And, as Christians, we believe that all life is sacred, from the pre-born child to the most senior among us. We do not seek to eliminate the elderly, as some do, and deny them their needed health care. But, in these times of demographic trends that discourage strong family structures resulting in the conception - and birth - of children, we must stand for the Biblical model of this incredible institution of marriage and the family.
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