You’ve probably heard it said that there are a number of similarities between a baby and someone of very old age. There are simple motor skills that both don’t possess, both are vulnerable to disease and to those who may want to take advantage of them, and with both there certain bodily functions that are not under their control. But when you were a baby, you presumably had your parents to sustain and take care of you. What happens when you grow old? For the believer, God assures us that he will never leave us for forsake us. Even in our old age God is active in our life; he is active in our care. In fact, the Bible tells us that he will even sustain us. It says in Isaiah, chapter 46, verse 4:
“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
One benefit of having children is the comfort of knowing that someone will care for you in your old age. I’ve witnessed several good sons and daughters who have taken extreme measures to make sure that their parents are cared for in their twilight years. But in Isaiah, we learn that even if we don’t have children to help us that God will sustain us in our old age. In fact, God will be with us and will intervene on our behalf during our entire Christian life. The verse referenced in Isaiah was spoken specifically to the Israelites of old, but like so much of the Bible, I believe that it is a promise for believers today. “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” This is a comforting thought. It is so nice to know that we don’t have to worry about being on our own later in life. Though this isn’t a promise that we will have great health, or that everything will go well with us as we age, it is a promise of God’s consistent hand in our life. He will make it his business to know how you are, he will listen to your cries for help, and he will sustain you even in your old age.
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This verse from Isaiah is of particular interest to me. I don’t have any children of my own, so I’ve always wondered, in the back of my mind, what will happen to me in my old age. Even for those who do have children it is no guarantee that they will be there for their parents in their twilight years. I used to work in a nursing home and would see several residents who seem to have been forgotten by their families. But for those of us who believe, for those of us who have put our trust in Christ and have decided to follow him, we can rest in the knowledge that whether we have children or not, whether we have dedicated loved ones or not, God will sustain us in our old age. So I would encourage you, as I encourage myself, focus on life today. Live for Christ now. Don’t worry about your future as to who will take care of you in your old age, or where you will be when you are no longer able to take care of yourself. Trust that God will be true to his word. Trust that he will sustain you even when your hairs are gray. Trust the he will carry you and rescue you as he has done your entire Christian life.
