PATTER'S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ARTICLE THE STRONG LIVE LONG

THE STRONG LIVE LONG
BY PAT GULLEY

Ps 90:10
The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. (KJV)

Moses is credited with writing the 90th Psalm. He knew something about being old and growing older. He was 80 years old when the Lord sent him back to Egypt to lead the nation of Israel to the Promised Land.(Exodus 7:7) And he was 120 years old when the Lord called him home to heaven. (Deut 34:7)

Yet Moses said in this Psalm that the average age of a person at that time was 70 years. Moses said if men and women lived to be fourscore, or 80 years, that is was reasonable to conclude that it was because they were strong people.

I used to think that the reason they were living to be 80 years old was because their bodies were strong. But I have now come to the conclusion that it had nothing to do with the strength of the body, but of the heart and soul. I think I can safely say, "Growing old is not for wimps."

The Apostle Paul shows us some insight into this arena of aging in his letter to the Church in Corinth.

2 Cor 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. (KJV)


Paul says that with the passing of years the body of every human being grows weaker and weaker until that point in time when it fails to serve us in the way we would like. But at the same time, the inner man, the real 'us' (especially Christians) is renewed, refreshed, renovated, regenerated and rejuvenated. (Strong's Concordance 341 Greek word is 'anakainoo': a fresh newness)

I have seen many elderly people in perishing bodies' deal with the effects that their aging body brings. And believe me, it takes strong human beings to live in those bodies day in and day out. The inner person suffers the indignity of not being able to bring a cup of coffee to his or her mouth because the hand and eye coordination of the outward body is not behaving properly. (And that is just one example of the situations they face daily.)

And trust me, it can be devastating to lose control of different parts of the body and depend on someone else to meet those needs. And there are those bodies whose mental capabilities flee to another place, and yet the hidden man of the heart is there and is aware of the inability to communicate with those around them. (1Peter 3:4) When I turned 50, my parents taught me the need to grow old gracefully. I thank them for that bit of advice and pray I practice it when the time comes.

May I repeat myself; a person must be strong who lives long. Love and honor them.