[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":144},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-older-i-get":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-older-i-get-surround":133},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":12,"columnName":115,"date":116,"description":117,"extension":118,"image":119,"meta":120,"minRead":121,"navigation":122,"path":123,"postType":124,"publication":125,"publicationUrl":119,"seo":126,"stem":127,"topics":128,"__hash__":132},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-older-i-get.md","The Older I Get",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9,10,11],"Psalms","Hebrews","1 Timothy",{"type":13,"value":14,"toc":111},"minimark",[15,23,28,33,38,43,48,53,58,63,68,73,78,83,88,93,98,103,108],[16,17,18,22],"p",{},[19,20,21],"em",{},"The older I get"," . . . the smaller the print appears to be—and the stronger the bifocals I need to read it.",[16,24,25,27],{},[19,26,21],{}," . . . the more everyone else seems to mumble.",[16,29,30,32],{},[19,31,21],{}," . . . the younger doctors look—and schoolteachers, police officers, bankers, pilots, professional athletes, ministers, and TV news anchors.",[16,34,35,37],{},[19,36,21],{}," . . . the farther away the floor appears when I bend over to tie my shoes.",[16,39,40,42],{},[19,41,21],{}," . . . the more I find myself describing something that happened \"just a year or two ago,\" then realizing upon further reflection that it actually happened a decade ago.",[16,44,45,47],{},[19,46,21],{}," . . . the harder I have to work to keep up with my granddaughter's computer skills—and she's only in the first grade.",[16,49,50,52],{},[19,51,21],{}," . . . the closer attention I pay when others talk about dietary supplements and surgical procedures.",[16,54,55,57],{},[19,56,21],{}," . . . the more I understand why my parents always used to stand around and visit with their friends after church.",[16,59,60,62],{},[19,61,21],{}," . . . the more compassion I feel for those who are bedridden, disabled, or unable to work.",[16,64,65,67],{},[19,66,21],{}," . . . the better I know exactly what I like and dislike. And the more I realize that \"what I like\" shouldn't be the dominant rule for my life.",[16,69,70,72],{},[19,71,21],{}," . . . the less interest I have in life insurance policies and 30-year mortgages.",[16,74,75,77],{},[19,76,21],{}," . . . the better I understand why the Bible puts so much emphasis on things that last instead of things that pass away.",[16,79,80,82],{},[19,81,21],{}," . . . the more firmly I believe in the clear teachings of Scripture and the less inclined I am to quarrel about matters of opinion.",[16,84,85,87],{},[19,86,21],{}," . . . the less I'm surprised by the human capacity to make foolish choices, the more convinced I am about the sad reality of sin, and the less I trust manmade political and religious power structures to make everything better.",[16,89,90,92],{},[19,91,21],{}," . . . the more I need to rely on God and his grace.",[16,94,95,97],{},[19,96,21],{}," . . . the more I realize that sadness and loss are inevitable but not unbeatable, for \"to live is Christ and to die is gain.\"",[16,99,100,102],{},[19,101,21],{}," . . . the more I savor my memories, treasure my friends, appreciate the marvels of God's creation, and thank the Lord for my faithful wife.",[16,104,105,107],{},[19,106,21],{}," . . . the more I see certain Scripture verses in a new light, like Hebrews 12:12, which says, \"strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.\" I used to read 1 Timothy 4:12 (\"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young\") and think, \"Yes, those older people shouldn't despise me for being a young man.\" Now I read it and realize that as an older man I must not look down on the younger generation. And what about Psalm 92:12-14? It tells about believers who \"flourish like a palm tree . . . planted in the house of the Lord. They will still bear fruit in old age; they will stay fresh and green.\"",[16,109,110],{},"Sounds like a good life, doesn't it? Flourishing. Bearing fruit in old age. Staying fresh and green. Life will always have a purpose as long as we keep bearing fruit for the Lord. And we'll never be \"over the hill\" as long as we keep climbing.",{"title":112,"searchDepth":113,"depth":113,"links":114},"",2,[],"First Look","2008-09-07","*The older I get* . . . the smaller the print appears to be—and the stronger the bifocals I need to read it.","md",null,{},4,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-older-i-get","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":117},"articles\u002Fthe-older-i-get",[129,130,131],"Intergenerational Ministry","Biblical Theology","Church Leadership","scjuCChjnOES5nJMaBJhAyj8FDtMzG9mp7VAOyj8H4w",[134,139],{"title":135,"path":136,"stem":137,"description":138,"children":-1},"The Old Testament’s Grand Finale","\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-old-testament-s-grand-finale","articles\u002Fthe-old-testament-s-grand-finale","It’s natural to feel a touch of melancholy when something comes to an end.",{"title":140,"path":141,"stem":142,"description":143,"children":-1},"The Ongoing Relevance of the Second Coming","\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-ongoing-relevance-of-the-second-coming","articles\u002Fthe-ongoing-relevance-of-the-second-coming","Why are Christians these days so reluctant to talk about the return of Christ? In the first century, believers anticipated the Lord’s return so earnestly that they used a short Aramaic prayer: *Marana tha*, “Come, Lord” (1 Corinthians 16:22). The apostle John prayed, “Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).",1790466184033]