Scripture

Our verse for today comes from Genesis 47:8, ” Pharaoh said to Jacob, ‘How old are you?’ ” 

Background

Recently, it was my wife’s birthday. It’s not one of those seismic, black balloon birthdays that ends in a ” 0, ” but it does end in a ” 5, ” which makes it perhaps slightly more noteworthy than last year’s or the year’s before. But had I not given you that little hint, you still would probably not have asked her how old she was. Somewhere, in that nebulous, ethereal handbook of all things acceptable and polite, it is written when it is and is not permissible to ask another’s age. Kids up to a certain age, however, and seniors, are given a free pass. Their blunt and frank approach as to how long someone has lived is expected and even celebrated as cute and humorous. But for the vast majority of adults, those of us living out the years between those two age groups, it is frowned upon to ask another how old they are. That question, for some reason, carries with it an intrusion and a curiosity that makes many uncomfortable. After meeting someone, we’ll ask others about them and hypothesize about their age based on any number of other factors, but we won’t just ask them directly. We’ll inquire into their background, their interests and career, but something keeps us from asking how many years have passed since they were born. Does that make sense to you? 

Application

Do we not ask because it’s implied that we are making some sort of judgment of that person based on their answer? Do we not want to be asked because we don’t match someone’s image of what that number should look like on our body? Do we avoid it because we don’t want to think about the time we’ve wasted and the things we haven’t accomplished? Our age is a number, but it’s a little more than that, isn’t it? It’s a marker and a reminder. It can depress us if we let it, but it can also cause us to rejoice. I hope your age brings you joy. If it doesn’t, I hope you’ll do something to change that. And maybe your next introduction will include your age, and a smile for the years God has showered His grace on you. That’s my birthday wish for my wife, who is God’s gift to me every day. 

Charge

As we seek Him today, thank Him for the years He has given you, and make today the best day it can be. 

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words