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Age Is A Number


                Now the men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.’ Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”
            Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly. (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba after Arba, who was the greatest man among the Anakites.) Then the land had rest from war. (Joshua 14:6-15)
            Moses fled from Egypt when he was 40, returned when he was 80 and led the Israelites until he was 120.  Joshua and Caleb were the two spies who had wanted to take the Promised Land, the only survivors of the forty years in the Wilderness. Caleb was 85 and "a-raring to go." These men are great examples of what can be done by older folk who place their faith in God. Retirement not only wasn't an option, but if it had been, they would have made another choice. God had use for them. There are times when I think that I'm too old...too old to start a new career...too old to make a difference. These three men prove that is a lie that I'm telling myself.
            It doesn't help that I am currently living a divided life, in six month increments. Taking care of Dad, and the prospect of his needs growing adds still more complexity. To be honest, however, the real problem isn't my age. It's not my circumstances. It's my faith. Caleb spent 45 years trusting a promise the Lord had made to him, seeing all of his circumstances through the lens of that promise.
            That lens is powerful. It gives the sort of vision that produces life, energy, stamina, and determination. There have been a number of times when God made it very clear that I was to move in one direction or another. My current divided life is one of those directions. That may be the one promise that I've received from God that I hold on to - that God will direct my path, but telling me "exit here" or "turn left now" isn't the same as my knowing where I'm going. There are days when I'd really rather by like Caleb than like Abram, but keep in mind, Abram was 75 when God called him. He didn't get to retire either.

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