Elders
“…it is not the old that are wise…”
My mom used to say:
“The devil knows more simply because he is old, than because of the fact that he is the devil.”
In the case of the devil this may be true, because he has been around for a long time. He knows every trick, tactic and strategy in the book of temptation, destruction and wickedness. He has ample arsenal to attack you and me, but he does not have access to God’s wisdom—access that we freely have in Christ.
Many people compare age with wisdom. In many cases it is certain that the elderly are wise, but this is not always true. Wisdom is a gift from God that is given to those that seek it, regardless of their age.
Job’s friends were elders, but their advice was clearly lacking wisdom and truth. Do not become defensive or take personally if you are an elderly (or young) person, when I say that not all elderly people are wise.
As we have learned, wisdom begins when we learn the fear of Yahweh. The man or woman that walks with God is wise; regardless of his age. Let us learn and apply this in our lives today, and when we become elders, we will be wise.
I consider myself an intelligent man, not a genius, but pretty smart. On the other hand, I have made many unwise decisions in my life. Now that I am older, I realize how much I needed wisdom from God back then, and how much I still need it today and in the future. I don’t want to be older, but I want (and I need) to be wiser, to live a life that honors God.
