The Autumn Season of Life

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This is a sermon that was given on Grandparents Day 2015. The message was based on Psalm 92:12-15.

Written Excerpts:

Psalm 92:12-15  The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. ¹³ Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God. ¹⁴ They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,

Introduction:

Because today is “Grandparents’ Day” I wanted to bring a message that focuses on the later years of life. If we look at the seasons of the year as an analogy of the life we live, I suppose we would consider the senior years as the “autumn season” of life.

There may be some younger people here who already have begun to tune out, because you’re not in that season of life yet, so you may be thinking that this message won’t really apply to you. Before, you tune out, let me remind you that the conditions which exist in anyone’s autumn season, largely depend on the values they’ve lived by and the decisions and choices they’ve made during the “spring” and “summer” seasons of life.

So, while we try to describe some of the things the Bible says about the “elderly,” we definitely want to understand that those descriptions are dependent on many wise and appropriate choices leading up to these later years of life.

Transition: Using some of the Scriptures that were read earlier, along with some additional passages, I want to make some observations regarding the autumn season of life.

I.    Life is brief and difficult.

Ps. 90 ¹⁰  The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

You will notice in your Bibles, that this is a Psalm written by Moses. The verses leading up to v. 10 seem to speak specifically to the experiences of Israel in the wilderness wanderings.

(Wesleyan Bible Commentary) Having contrasted the eternal and almighty God with temporary and fragile humanity, the psalmist now examines that transience from a human perspective (see 90:7-11). God's anger appears in the opening and closing verses of this stanza, symbolizing its inescapableness. God's wrath is continual because human sins are continually present before Him, even secret sins (90:8). A short life (especially when contrasted with verse 4), so full of trouble, ends with a moan (90:9-10).

The reference to 70-80 years seems to be a generalization that was common for the people who were of the generation that were not permitted to enter the Promised Land. Obviously Moses himself lived to be much older than that, and Joshua and Caleb would have also. The point is that human life is brief, especially when taken in contrast to the eternal God (v. 1). Nearly every person I’ve known has characterized life as being “short,” no matter how long they live.

Since life is short and difficult, we need wisdom in order to live it productively and with the right priorities and values. (v.12) Life isn’t easy and at its longest, it is soon over. So we must live it fully connected to God and ready to meet Him at any time. We never know how soon our life will end.

II.  The “Autumn Season” can still be fruitful.

Psalm 92:12-15  The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. ¹³ Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God. ¹⁴ They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,

If we look at this verse in light of the techniques of common Hebrew poetry, then we would understand “the righteous” in verse 12 to be = to “those who are planted in the house of the Lord” (v. 13)

The poet compares the stability and vitality of the righteous with the strong and flourishing trees – the palm tree and the cedar tree. Then he goes even farther to say that when they reach the stage of advancing years, they will still be stable and productive.

(KJV) v. 14 – “fat” and “flourishing”; NIV – “fresh” & “green”; NASB – “full of sap” and “always green.”

The verse is not describing someone that is dragging to the finish line with bitterness and uselessness, but is still living in a way that shows vitality and usefulness.

I realize that this is a poetic description, and is not to be understood as a hard and fast promise. I realize that some people are ravaged by disease as they approach the end of life. Yet, the psalmist is emphasizing that those who know God and live close to God are still going to have something vital to offer as they grow older and older.

The condition or “secret” to their vitality and strength is the fact that they are “planted in the house of the Lord.” (v. 13)

Compare Prov. 16:31 “The hoary [silver] head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.”

Elderly saints are a source of glory to God! The “Autumn Season” can still be a fruitful time and we can still have an influence in our families for the glory of God!

III. God is faithful until the end.

Psalm 71:9, 18    Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails. ¹⁸ Now also when I am old and gray headed, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.

In this Psalm, the poet is pleading for God to remain faithful and not forsake him when he reaches the time of old age. I would like to couple this plea with another passage from the prophet Isaiah that serves as a very appropriate answer from God to this type of prayer.

Isaiah 46:3-4 (NKJV) ³  "Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, Who have been upheld by Me from birth, Who have been carried from the womb: ⁴  Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.

If you check the context and review the two previous verses in this chapter, you will find that God is drawing a distinct contrast between himself and the pagan idols that they had been worshiping. While the idols had failed them and not provided what they needed or hoped, God was still the faithful, covenant-keeping God of their fathers and he would carry them and deliver them even to old age.

While this prophecy is specifically directed to the nation of Israel, we can make a spiritual application to all those who are trusting in God and following His ways. God can be counted on! God is Faithful!

The psalmist prayed, “O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.”

God promises to be faithful, so we can testify and declare to the younger generations that He is trustworthy and it is worth it all to serve the living God!

I’ve known plenty of people who reached the final years of life and had regrets for not dedicating their lives to the Lord and living for His glory earlier in life. But, I’ve never met anyone who faithfully lived for Christ and followed Him throughout their lives, then come down to the end of life and say, “You know, I really regret giving my heart to Jesus. I wish I had waited until now to get right with God.” No, those who have been redeemed and faithfully served the Lord are always very grateful that Jesus reached them at an early age and they only wish they had served Him longer!

Conclusion:

This topic does apply to every one of us today whether we are grandparents and senior citizens or not. If we’re not already in that “category” then we are certainly headed that way rapidly.

The main issue is that whether we are older or younger, we all need to be trusting in God and living a life that is characterized as “the righteous who are planted in the house of the Lord,” so that we can maintain vitality and testify for the glory of God even as we get older and older.

Let’s close the service today by standing together and singing our closing song:

My Faith Has Found a Resting Place