Joshua now 85 years old and well advanced in years,

Moses brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, after forty years wandering in the dessert. He was now 120 and his successor Joshua would be the one to take them on into the promised land.

the LORD said to him(Joshua),
you are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.”

Joshua 13: 1

Joshua was 85, had conquered most of the kingdoms, taken their crowns, but according to the LORD still had work to be done. God wasn’t ready for him to exit the scene. I think I would be tempted to say to the LORD,

“After all LORD, you said, ‘ I was very old….Let these younger guys and gals, just do it!'”

Maybe Joshua had additional things God wanted him to learn before receiving his victory crown. In fact the Book of Revelation speaks of multiple crowns overcomers will receive when they get to heaven. Maybe the younger people had appetites that still needed to be trained. Sometimes wisdom comes through life experiences; but Godly wisdom can only come through an intimate relationship with God. Do you have an appetite for listening to and obeying God?

At the age of forty Joshua was one of several spies charged to go out to Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. He brought back a good report. There were obstacles and enemies, but Joshua had heard a word from God saying, “I’ve given you the land as an inheritance.” To Joshua this meant, “I’ve been trained, now I’m going to go eat.”

He believed the land was theirs. It meant fighting, it meant crowns rolling, but he was ready. He saw victory, while the naysayers saw the battle and possible defeat.

Because of they refused, it was a forty year death sentence for anyone age twenty and over, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb.

Now 45 years later, Joshua is 85 and had trained his appetite to wait for the last crown to roll in the dust before retiring.

“What you “see” you begin to believe.” Joshua had “seen” the promised land, and was willing to sacrifice his entire life to get there, and to lea a younger generation in. This took courage, training and tenacity. Joshua drew a line of confidence of God’s wisdom inside of his heart.

How you act in life is a training for your body, soul and spirit. We read the following words from Joshua which tells us he remained strong to the end.

“The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly,’ “Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to MOSES, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day,

Joshua 14:9-12

One day we will see the inheritance we have been promised when we cross over into God’s eternal promised land. That is if we have made the decision for God to come in and be on the throne of our hearts.

I help out a woman who is 98 years old. She is in better health than most 70 year old’s. She remembers a time growing up when there were little modern conveniences like running water, electricity, telephones, computers, hearing aids, glasses, hospitals and doctors, etc.

Hard labor was part of a very early day, every day, and going to bed at sundown was welcomed by everyone, including the children. She is thankful to have watched her aunt grow old, so she knows what to expect in the aging process.

She is thankful for all the modern conveniences that make life less burdensome, but she has trained herself to look to Jesus as her source for everything.

Don’t worry about me. I can always call on the one who is always and forever be on the throne, Jesus!

Lorraine Glines (age 98)

Most of us will not enjoy the longevity that Lorraine has enjoyed, so let us make the most of each day as Joseph did, training our appetites to hunger for the LORD.

“Come down from your thrones and sit in the dust, for your glorious crowns will soon be snatched from your heads.” 

The apostle James wrote in his epistle in chapter 1 verse 12 “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” Here the apostle James confirms the words of Paul in stating that God will try, test, and judge all Christians. I Corinthians speaks about many crowns the believer has opportunity to receive.

Run the race for the prize you will receive one day….but first you must train yourself…

 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”

Revelation 4:10-11