Grey Lifting

"Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from your birth, carried from your womb; even to your old age I am he, even when you turn grey I will carry you, I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and I will save."

(Isaiah 46:3-4)

I was just reading the paper this morning and came across an article about long-term care insurance. The author was delineating the increasing costs of long-term care insurance... and despite the tremendous increases, finished by asking, "But how can you not afford to have some kind of long-term care insurance?"

The book of ISAIAH posits the same question - just in a different light. God, the author of all life, states how he has carried Israel since their birth (I see this as meaning ALL people, not just the nation of Israel as a whole). AND... God will continue to do so, even (especially!) as they grow old.

No one wants to "be a burden" to others. Nor do we want to be alone in our old age. The costs of nursing homes and home health nurses are skyrocketing. Many of us, as we approach our "silver years" are starting to worry about this (or at least starting to look at potential strategies to prepare for it). God reminds us that HE HAS OUR BACK! He is the one who will lift our spirits and hold us up when we can't do it ourselves.

The question is, will we allow God to do that? Will we recognize God's authority and rule in our lives? He doesn't want us to feel abandoned or neglected. How will we respond?