10 And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. 11 As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in." (Joshua 14:10-11)
Even in old age, faithful Caleb was ready to wage war against the enemies of God's people. He succeeded in occupying Hebron as his portion of the inheritance (Josh. 15:13-14). Even though our physical strength diminishes with age, there is much older men and women of faith can accomplish for the Lord. The psalmist observed that "the righteous shall flourish like a palm tree," and "they shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing" (Psa. 92:12-14).
As the COVID-19 virus is especially (although not exclusively) attacking the elderly among us, we see a refreshing concern for the elderly among us. Aged men and women are valuable, and aged Christians have work to do in the kingdom (Titus 2:2-5). Instead of discarding the aged as burdensome, Israel was commanded, "You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the LORD" (Lev. 19:32). They were to learn that showing respect to the older person reflected their reverence for God. If you are older, seize this time of life and be strong in faith, even as your body grows weaker. If you are younger, respect the older generation, because God willing, you will be in their shoes one day.