Old Vines Produce Good Grapes
9th May 2010
One of the many sad things about our society is the way we write off older people. God never does this. He says:
Proverbs 16v31
Grey hair is a crown of splendour; it is attained by a righteous life.
And he promises:
Psalm 92v12-15
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,
proclaiming, "The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."
As we grow older in Christ, we get to know Him better. If we refuse to write ourselves off, then we will continue to bear good fruit by His Holy Spirit ALL the days of our lives. We will "stay fresh and green".
If you enjoy wine, you'll know that some wines are advertised as coming from "old vines". These are considered to be the best. An old vine may produce fewer grapes than a young vine, but they're better grapes. In the same way, an older Christian may not have the energy of a young person, but he or she should have a peace, a grace, a wisdom, a patience, that young people just don't have. They produce the best fruit of all.
At 65, we may retire from our career, but we never retire from God's service. We never retire from praying, from serving our church, from telling our neighbours about the Kingdom of God, from worship. We never retire from being a blessing to those around us. And all the goodness that God has put into us over the years can flow out in kind words and gentleness, bearing good fruit for our Lord in the lives of others.