We all like to encourage the young people to learn more, because young people learn everything quickly. However, the older ones should not be discouraged, because there is a verse in the Bible that says, “So that your youth is renewed like the eagle” (Psa. 103:5). Even if we are old, our youth can be renewed, and we can still have the opportunity to learn.
We saved ones are regenerated people. Once we are regenerated, we cannot get old. The life that we received in our regeneration is an eternal life, a never-aging life. This life is different from the life that we received by birth. The life that we received from our parents is not growing daily but dying daily. If we are destined to live until we are ninety years old, then for every year that passes, we must subtract a year from our life, and for every ten years that pass, we must subtract ten years from our life. For example, if we have ninety dollars, every dollar that we spend means that we have one less dollar to spend. Because many of us do not have many years left, we do not want to waste them. This is not merely a feeling but a fact.
The life that we received in our regeneration is not like the gradually declining life we received by birth. The life that we received in our regeneration is a life that grows daily and is an eternal life. One psalmist in the Bible said, “But I, like a flourishing olive tree / In the house of God” (Psa. 52:8). I believe that this psalm was written by an old, even very aged, psalmist. But although he was old, he did not yield to his oldness. Hymn #715 in the Chinese hymnal says, “The withering days of life are seemingly increasing but actually decreasing.” This means that man’s life is like withering days that are apparently increasing but are actually decreasing. Some Christians who are already over eighty have subtracted more than eighty years from their life and do not have many years left. However, they have the eternal life in them, and this eternal life renews their youth.
Today the reason some of the elderly saints are so lively is that they have the eternal life in them. Although they themselves may not have this feeling, this is the fact. Their youth is being renewed day by day. In particular, we see many elderly saints in the meetings who welcome people with smiles and are full of vigor. What is real in them is manifested outwardly. They have a life in them that is a never-aging life. When this life is expressed in them, it becomes joy, because our Lord is the Lord of joy. There may be nothing in the outward environment to make us joyful, but the Lord who lives in us is our joy. We are joyful when we sing, and we are even more joyful when we testify for the Lord. The more we open our mouths, the more joyful we are. Even by saying “Amen” or “Hallelujah,” our faces become glowing, shining, and full of joy.
Even though the writer of Psalm 52 may have been aged, he saw himself as a flourishing olive tree that was growing in the house of Jehovah. I hope that all of us elderly saints would have the feeling that although we are aged, we still are flourishing olive trees. Instead of being weakened, as flourishing olive trees we have been planted in the house of Jehovah and are trusting in God’s lovingkindness forever and ever.
In the New Testament Luke 2:25 and 36 mention two elderly saints—one brother and one sister. The brother is named Simeon and the sister is named Anna. Verses 25 through 32 are concerning Simeon. Although this passage is short, it mentions the Holy Spirit three times. The first time it says, “The Holy Spirit was upon him” (v. 25). The Holy Spirit was on Simeon. Today we elderly saints are more blessed than Simeon because the Holy Spirit is not only on us but in us. The second time it says, “It had been divinely communicated to him by the Holy Spirit” (v. 26). It was not through a dream or his thoughts but through his receiving the revelation from the Holy Spirit that Simeon knew that he would not see death before he had seen the consolation of God’s people. The Lord Jesus was the consolation of God’s people. The elderly Simeon not only had the Holy Spirit but also received revelation from the Holy Spirit. The revelation that he received was concerning Christ. We all should be like Simeon who received a revelation from the Holy Spirit that was not related to peace or prosperity but to Christ.
Simeon received a revelation from the Holy Spirit and knew that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ, who was the consolation of God’s people (vv. 25-26). Later, the Holy Spirit moved him to enter the temple because the consolation of Israel, for whom he had been waiting, had arrived. At that time the Lord Jesus was still a little child. Simeon came in the Spirit into the temple, and the parents of Jesus brought Him in. Once he saw the child, he did not hesitate to receive Him into his arms. He blessed God and said, “Now You release Your slave, Master, according to Your word, in peace; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all the peoples” (vv. 29-31). In his two short words, the word says that the Lord Jesus was the consolation of God’s people, and the other says that the Lord Jesus was God’s salvation (vv. 25, 30). He saw that the Lord Jesus was both the consolation of God’s people and God’s salvation. The revelation and the spiritual feeling that Simeon received were both concerning Christ.
Today many Christians claim that they have received a revelation and have been touched to preach the gospel to certain relatives to save them from hell and perdition. Although we cannot say that this is bad, it is certainly not very high. Simeon received the revelation to see that Christ was the consolation of God’s people; he was also moved to receive Christ and said that he had seen God’s salvation. This proves that in his old age the elderly Simeon did not care for anything other than Christ. Every day he focused on Christ based upon God’s promise. The Old Testament promised again and again that Christ would come, and it hinted that Christ was the consolation of God’s people. Moreover, there were clear types showing that Christ was the salvation of God’s people. The elderly Simeon must have nearly memorized the entire Old Testament because he knew very well that these promises, hints, and types all referred to Christ.
Simeon was inwardly filled with Christ as the consolation of God’s people and God’s salvation. It could be said that he was charmed and captured by Christ. Hence, the revelation that he received was Christ, and he was moved with Christ. This is an excellent example for us. However, even though the elderly Simeon was merely in the Old Testament and had not entered the New Testament, he received such a high revelation. He arrived at such a revelation merely by enjoying the grace in the Old Testament. Nevertheless, he is truly a good pattern for us. Today what do we elderly ones think about? If we think about our children, there will be no end to our thinking. Of course, all parents think about their children, but we have to realize that it is not worthwhile to think about our children so much. To do so is to look for trouble. When we think about our children so much, not only are we unable to render them help, but sometimes we may be bound by them or cause them to be bound by us. This is truly pitiful.
After the account concerning Simeon, the Gospel of Luke gives the record of an elderly sister named Anna who loved Christ very much and pursued Christ. Luke 2 mentions these two elderly saints, showing us that they both considered Christ. This is very precious. I want to ask the younger saints what you think about. Do you think about beautiful clothing, good food, and high positions? Most young people think about what to wear and how to adorn themselves whereas most elderly people do not think about these things. Rather, they think about their children. It is truly a blessing for some elderly saints that they do not have children. If you do not have children, you will be unoccupied. A person spends all his money for himself when he is young, but when he is old, he saves every penny for his children. The sisters are especially frugal and thrifty for their children. Hence, it is hard for elderly people to overcome their preoccupation with their children, and it is not easy for young people to overcome their preoccupation with adornment.
The elderly Simeon and Anna were not like this. Their hearts were on Christ. I have eight children, twenty-two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. When I am among them, listening to their stories, I really need the Lord to put the helmet of salvation upon me. I would like to tell the elderly people that our children are not our consolation. Only Christ is our consolation and our salvation. The more the elderly people are focused on Christ, the more blessed they will be. If we dream of Christ at night, think about Christ in the morning, talk about Christ all the time, and are full of Christ, we will be blessed.