Conclusion of "Thriving During Gray-Headedness"

Quoting the Hebrew prophet Joel, the apostle Peter declared: " 'In the last days,'  God says, 'I shall  pour out some of my spirit upon every sort of flesh [including "old men"], . . .and they will prophesy.' " (Acts 2:17, 18; Joel 2:28)  Accordingly, in these last days, Jehovah has used elderly members of the anointed class and of the "other sheep"  to declare his purposes.  (John 10:16) Some of these have faithfully been producing Kingdom fruitage for decades. 

Consider Sonia, who became a full-time Kingdom publisher in 1941.  Despite a long struggle with chronic illness, she regularly conducted Bible studies in her home.  "Preaching the good news is part of my life," explained Sonia.  "Actually, it is my life. I refuse to retire."  Not long ago, Sonia and her sister,m Olive, shared the Bible's message of hope with Janet, a terminally ill patient whom they met in a hospital waiting room. Janet's mother, a devout Catholic, was o impressed by this loving interest shown to her daughter that she accepted her offer of a home Bible study and is now making excellent progress. Could you seize similar opportunities to produce Kingdom fruitage?

By courageously pressing on it the Kingdom-preaching work despite the limitations of advancing years, older Christians are following in the footsteps of the faithful Israelite Caleb, who accompanied Moses in the wilderness for four decades. Caleb was 79 years old when he crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land. After fighting in the ranks of Israel's victorious army for six years, he could have rested on his laurels. But no, he courageously requested the challenging assignment of capturing the "great fortified cities" in the mountainous region of Judah, an area inhabited by the Anakim, men of unusual size. With Jehovah 's help, Caleb  did "dispossess them, just as Jehovah promised."  (Joshua 14:9-14; 15:13,14)  Be assured that Jehovah is with you, as he was with Caleb, as you continue producing Kingdom fruitage in old age.  And if you remain faithful, he will grant you a place in his promised new world. -Isaiah 40:29-31; 2 Peter 3:13. 

Next time: "Fat and Fresh They Will Continue to Be"

From the Watchtower magazine, 2004