Day 63, or March the 4th. Retire or not? That
is the question. Our thoughts today are from
Joshua chapter 14, verses 11 and 12. I'm still
as strong today as the day Moses sent me out.
I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now
as I was then. Now give me this hill country
that the Lord promised me that day. you yourself
heard then that the anarchites were there and
their cities were large and fortified but the
lord helping me i will drive them out. First the
big picture surrounding these verses. There is
much detail about land boundaries given in the
book of joshua These are exciting days for the
children of Israel and God wanted there to be
no doubts that each tribe was given their due
allocation which confirmed God's fairness and
sense of equality. Now our action step for today.
Caleb, who was eighty -five years old when the
land was being divided amongst the tribes, had
a privileged place as one of the two faithful
spies who survived the wilderness wanderings,
and were then able to enter the promised land.
He was offered a portion of land, and Joshua,
his fellow spy, allowed him to choose. As an
old man, Caleb acted like a youngster. He didn't
want an easy path, but preferred a challenge.
None of this retirement stuff for Caleb. None
of this easing down due to old age. What an example
to all of us. Of course, we are not all physically
able to respond like him, but the principle of
keeping going for God is clear. A question many
are asking today is, how old will I be before
I'm able to retire? If Caleb were here, he would
interject and demand a testing job that, with
God's help, he would be able to do to the glory
of God. Retirement is not a biblical concept.
Some may point to Numbers 8 .25, which reads,
And they must retire at the age of fifty. But
read on into the next verse, which tells us,
After retirement, they may assist their fellow
Levites by serving as guards at the tabernacle.
So, biblically, a change of job is allowed, but
an inactive retirement doesn't seem to be an
option.