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Text: Psalm 37:5-6

Hymn: Even if worries come, cast all your cares upon the Lord, for He is the one who keeps you.

Hymn 382: Do not worry.

Beloved congregation, you have lived a life of sweat and tears as immigrants, and you have worked hard serving the Lord's church. Although each of our lives may have been different, when we look back on our days, we confess that everything has been the amazing grace of God. The footprints of your labor, dedicated to building your workplace, protecting your family, and serving the church in your youth, will be beautifully recorded in the history of God's kingdom.

However, as we enter the latter part of life, in our 70s and 80s, a quiet loneliness and fear may sometimes creep into our hearts. The changes in identity that come after retirement, the weakening health and stamina, worries about aging and our children, and the questions of “What can I do now?” can weigh heavily on our hearts.

The Bible proclaims that the life of the elderly is not a time of withdrawal or withering away. Rather, it is a “season of the most holy and complete entrustment,” where we look to God more deeply with the depth of faith accumulated over a lifetime, laying down all the authority and stubbornness we held in our hands, and relying solely on the Lord.

The four biblical passages I would like to present today are warm comforts and eternal promises from the Lord for our seniors and retired pastors who have run the race of life. By fully handing over the steering wheel of life, which we have led by our own strength, to the Almighty Lord, may your days in old age shine brightly and be a blessed season of grace, I bless you in the name of the Lord.

First, entrust all your worries to the Lord.

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

If the worries of youth were about “how to survive and achieve,” the worries of senior years are about “how to finish faithfully and not be a burden to my children?” and “What if my health fails?” — deep concerns about survival and completion.

Retired pastors who have served the church and prayed for the congregation may also carry unspoken worries about their own life and ministry after retirement. But the Lord says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him!”

Here, the word “entrust” means to “cast the burden of worry that rests on my shoulders onto the shoulders of the Almighty Lord.” The Lord is the faithful Father who has fed and clothed us throughout our lives. In Isaiah 46:4, it is said that He cares for us from our youth through our middle age and even to the point where our hair turns gray in old age.

Among the figures in the Bible, there are few who have accomplished as great things as the prophet Elijah. Yet, even after his victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Elijah felt deep spiritual dullness and isolation when King Ahab and Jezebel continued their idolatry and persecution.

He sat under a broom tree, feeling that his ministry had failed, and lamented, “I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life,” expressing intense worry about Israel's future and his remaining mission (1 Kings 19).

But how did God respond? First, He sent an angel to provide him with bread and water, giving him the strength to walk for 40 days and nights to reach Mount Horeb. Then, He appeared not in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in a “gentle whisper” to comfort him and give him a new mission.

He also reassured him that there were 7,000 who had not bowed to Baal, alleviating his worries, and appointed Elisha as his successor to ensure that God's work would continue. When elderly servants of God worry about a future and mission that they cannot handle by their own strength, God opens the way perfectly through faithful promises and necessary people, rather than rebuking their worries.

Beloved, now entrust all your worries and concerns to the Lord. Worrying will not add a single cubit to your height, nor can you live your children's future for them. When we entrust all our worries to the Lord, He promises, “for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7b).

Therefore, may we all believe that the Lord, who has cared for us throughout our lives, will perfectly care for our remaining days and the lives of our beloved children, and may you enjoy peace in the name of the Lord.

Second, entrust the burdens of life to the Lord.

Psalm 55:22 “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

In old age, burdens such as physical ailments, economic and social pressures that are not what they used to be, and the emotional wounds and regrets that have been carried for many years come upon us. Pastors who have carried the burdens of the souls of their congregants in ministry may also find themselves no exception to the heavy burdens of loneliness and emptiness after retirement.

In Psalm 55, David cried out to God when he experienced the heaviest sorrow of betrayal by his closest associate. He confessed, “Cast your burden on the Lord!” The Lord does not turn away those who come bearing their burdens; He reaches out His hand to hold them. He promises to keep the righteous from being shaken by the storms of time.

David was a king, but he lived a life full of turmoil. His old age was not peaceful either; he faced rebellion from his son Absalom. This led him to bear the heartbreaking burden of ascending the Mount of Olives with tears in his eyes. However, even in that desperate situation, David did not try to bear the burden of his kingship or life alone. He sent the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem, saying, “If the Lord shows me favor, He will bring me back” and entrusted all his burdens to God's sovereignty (2 Samuel 15:25). God took on that heavy burden and restored David's old age gloriously.

Indeed, when we try to bear burdens by our own strength, they weigh us down, but when we entrust them to the Lord, those burdens become a channel for experiencing His grace. He lifts up our weakened knees and holds our feeble hands. He untangles the problems that seem impossible to solve. Just as a shepherd cares for his sheep, the Lord removes our burdens and leads us on a lighter path in life.

Are you struggling under the burdens you carry today, feeling that you cannot bear them? The Lord says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

May you entrust your heavy burdens to the Lord, experiencing the power of His support and enjoying true rest and peace in the name of Jesus.

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    ("First, entrust all your worries to the L")
      ("1 Peter 5:7")
    ("Second, entrust the burdens of life to t")
      ("Psalm 55:22")
    ("Third, entrust the remaining path of lif")
      ("Psalm 37:5-6")
    ("Fourth, entrust your spiritual legacy an")
      ("Proverbs 16:3")

Third, entrust the remaining course of your life and the path toward heaven to the Lord.

Psalm 37:5-6 “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.”

The latter part of life is not merely a time to spend the remaining days. It is a holy time to run the most beautiful final sprint of a marathon, looking toward the eternal homeland of heaven. However, sometimes the path ahead may seem distant, and we may feel regret about whether our past life was truly valuable. It may feel as though the labor of service we dedicated our lives to is forgotten in the memories of others.

Yet the text encourages us: “Commit your way to the Lord!” The word “commit” here is very meaningful; the Hebrew word “galal” means to “roll the great stone of my life over to God.”

When we roll the remaining path over to the Lord, He Himself will beautifully fulfill the lives of the saints, and even if the world does not recognize it, He will brightly illuminate the righteousness of our faithful lives “like the noonday sun” before Him.

Joseph spent time feeling completely blocked in his path, having been wrongfully sold into slavery and imprisoned. However, Joseph did not blame his circumstances or resort to any means to carve out his own path. He solely relied on God and entrusted his distant path to the Lord. God opened that blocked path and made him the prime minister of Egypt, allowing him to later confess to his brothers, “God sent me ahead of you to preserve life” (Genesis 45:5).

Dear seniors, we may all have experienced unfairness or regrets in our past lives. However, the Lord knows the path of faith that I have walked. Do not be discouraged by people's evaluations; entrust every step of your remaining path and eternal dwelling to the Lord who is preparing them, and walk boldly. Then, the glory of the Lord, more radiant than the noonday sun, will greet you.

Fourth, entrust your spiritual legacy and the remaining events of your life to the Lord.

Proverbs 16:3 “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”

Most of you here have retired from your current positions, and retirement is referred to as “Retire” in English, right? From an etymological perspective, “Retire” comes from the French “retirer,” meaning “to withdraw.” However, this can also be positively reinterpreted as “re-tire,” like changing the tires of a car and hitting the road again.

This leads to phrases such as, “Not retired, just re-tired for a new journey” and “Time to re-tire and hit the road again.”

Especially for God's people, retirement does not mean the end of a believer's mission. The season of being a senior is the time to fulfill the most powerful spiritual ministry as “watchmen of prayer” and “intercessors of faith” for future generations. What kind of faith legacy will you pass on to your children and descendants? What will you pray for the kingdom of God during the remaining years of your life? This is the holy work of seniors.

The writer of Proverbs proclaims, “Commit your work to the Lord!” Do not try to change your children by your own strength and experience. Instead of being consumed with worries about worldly matters through your own strength and wisdom, take a step further and offer the spiritual assets you have built up over the years, such as prayer and a holy life, to God. He will manage your family and fulfill the history of the next generation and the church standing firm as you have prayed.

The prophet Nehemiah was born in a truly difficult time and was used for his country and people. He was a Jew but lived as a court official in the Persian Empire during his captivity.

Originally, the Jewish people were taken captive by Babylon, but in 539 BC, King Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon, and they came under Persian rule.

Nehemiah was active in the mid-5th century BC (around 445-432 BC) as a high-ranking official responsible for the king's safety in the Persian capital of Susa.

During the 20th year of King Artaxerxes (445 BC), he heard the news that the walls of Jerusalem had been broken down. However, as a captive, he could do nothing about the sad reality facing his homeland. So, he first committed all his actions to God by fasting and praying for several days. Despite the intense opposition from enemies and the weary internal situation, he led the ministry by praying only to God. At that time, God granted him success, allowing the wall to be completed in 52 days (Nehemiah 6:15).

In this way, the intercession of retired pastors and senior saints is a holy power that opens the future for our country, people, church, and children. Now, change your role from being a player on the field to being a supporter of prayer, a channel of blessing, and commit all your actions to the Lord. I believe that God will continue to accomplish great things through your prayers.

Conclusion

Beloved senior saints and respected retired pastors, just as a lily emits a deeper fragrance as it withers, the old age of a saint is a season that emits the most mature and beautiful spiritual fragrance before God.

Today, I shared four promises. First, entrust all your worries. The Lord will fully care for you and your family. Second, entrust the burdens of body and mind. The Almighty Lord will hold you forever. Third, entrust the remaining path of life. The Lord will illuminate your life with value like the noonday sun. Fourth, entrust all your actions to the Lord. The Lord will faithfully manage through your prayers.

Now, let go of the strength in your hands, do not clench your fists of stubbornness and worry, but stretch out your hands before the Lord's cross and lay everything down. “Lord, You have guided me all my life; I entrust my remaining days and my soul entirely to You.” May this humble and great confession be proclaimed from your lips every day.

The white hair that rests upon your heads, having served the Lord all your life, is a crown of glory. Until the day you are embraced in the Lord's arms, may you enjoy true rest and peace, and by entrusting everything to the Lord, may you fill the latter part of your life with the most blessed and holy victories in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.