Nearing Home - Billy Graham [13]
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THE IMPACT OF HOPE
They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing.
—PSALM 92:14 NKJV
The measure of a life is not its duration but its donation.
—CORRIE TEN BOOM
In old age . . . blossom at the end like a night-blooming cereus.”1 This statement was written by a missionary to India, the late Dr. E. Stanley Jones, native of Baltimore, Maryland. He made a profound impact on all those around him because of his extraordinary faith and service to others. Later in life his work was acknowledged by Franklin D. Roosevelt and Mahatma Gandhi. In spite of a stroke at age eighty-seven that disabled him and impaired his speech, he dictated his last book, The Divine Yes,2 and addressed a world congress in Jerusalem from his wheelchair shortly before he died in his beloved India.
The night-blooming cereus (a family of flowering cacti) that he spoke of brings a beauty to the desert when it opens up at nightfall. Some say these plants produce fruit large enough for people to consume. Dr. Jones certainly knew something about blossoming in the nighttime of life and producing fruit in plenty; consider all those he touched along his way. His is a worthy testimony of living a meaningful life during the journey to eternal life. Do we, the older generation, do the same? Are we producing fruit that replenishes others, or do we complain about our circumstances and drain others who look forward to living full lives? By our attitudes, do we make the younger dread the inevitable— growing old? Many elderly people, without realizing, taint the purpose God has for them: to impact the younger generations by exemplifying reliance on Him and hope in His unchanging promises. We should be content, for Jesus has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV).
WISDOM FOR THE OLD
As we grow older, it is easy to feel that there is nothing else to conquer, so some retreat to the golf cart or the rocking chair. Some say, “I’ve seen it all.” Others brag, “We’ve been there and done that!” The truth is that we gain new experiences until we die. I can assure you that my wife, Ruth, experienced many things in her last days on earth. She experienced God’s peace that He promised. There may be common experiences shared by those who grow old, but every individual has unique circumstances. Some are widowed; others have disinterested children. Some care for an invalid spouse; some grow old together. Someone said, “If I’d known I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself!” About the only thing that comes to us without effort is old age.
But old age does not exempt us from fulfilling our purposes in life. The psalmist entreated the Lord for blessing on a most noble task when he asked,
When I am old and grayheaded,
O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation. (Psalm 71:18 NKJV)
We find multiple examples throughout Scripture, from the patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament to the apostles and followers of Christ in the New Testament, of men and women who made a profound impact on generations that followed. And today, their words live on.
In the day that Israel was experiencing economic ruin, the prophet Joel declared,
Hear this, you elders, and give ear . . .
Has anything like this happened in your days,
Or even in the days of your fathers?
Tell your children about it,
Let your children tell their children,
And their children another generation. (Joel 1:2–3 NKJV)
The prophet is reminding the experienced, older generation to recall times past when they had gone through similar calamities and how, when they turned back to God, He faithfully restored them. Today as we witness a threatened economy taking its toll on our national lifestyle, how often do