“So if you begin taking your social security benefits at age 62 instead of age 67, you can accumulate over $100,000. Listen, a lot can happen in those five years between 62 and 67. Think about a 12-year-old. Is there a big difference between when he is 12 and when he is 17? Absolutely! Same thing at the other end. Your body, mind, and activity level will dramatically change during these five years. You don’t know what is going to happen. Take advantage of the funds that belong to you and start taking your social security payments at age 62.”
I was listening to an infomercial. Although there were several other financial considerations that this salesperson should have discussed, one observation resonated with me. His analogy with the dramatic changes between the ages of 12 and 17 hit home. I thought of my two children and agreed with his observations. I am 62 years old and in the previous two years, I have noted significant changes in all aspects of life he mentioned. I wondered what I would be like in five years. God, once again, answers us by His Word.
Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away. Who can comprehend the power of your anger? Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve. Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.
Psalms 90:10-12 (NLT)
God’s supreme wisdom is once again manifest in this Psalm. Depending on the resource, the average lifespan of a man is about 71 years and a woman is 76 years. God knew this thousands of years ago. If God knew this, He also knows that our physical strength may decline, even dramatically in the last years of our lives. If it happened then and now, what hope is there for us?
Our possessions, our wealth, and our bodies will pass away. Knowing this, we must cling to and cherish the eternal things of our lives. This can only be found in a relationship with God, our Lord and Creator. We are created with imperishable souls. What happens when we die? If we have confessed and repented of our sins and accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we will gain salvation and spend eternity in God’s presence in Heaven. This decision takes less than five years, only a few seconds. A significant change will also happen but unlike the end of our lives, we will be reborn as children of God!
Amen!
Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.