My grandmother (Ammachi) loved chocolate.  When we questioned Ammachi about her blood sugar levels, her response was pretty standard. “Who’s checking?” she would say with a smirk.  And when this same 92 year old grandmother was asked ‘How are you doing,’ she had yet another clever and witty reply.

“Better than Barzillai.”

Perhaps you’re scratching your head right now and wondering what I was wondering.

Barzil-who??

I found his story in 2 Samuel 19.

Barzillai was a kind and wealthy man. He had provided for the needs of King David when David was forced to flee Jerusalem during a revolt. After the rebellion ended, Barzillai accompanied David and his men to the shore of the Jordan River. King David wished to repay Barzillai for his kindness.

“Cross over with me and stay with me in Jerusalem, and I will provide for you.”

 Barzillai respectfully declined David’s offer.

 “I am now eighty years old. Can I tell the difference between what is good and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats and drinks? Can I still hear the voices of men and women singers? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?”

In other words, ‘Thanks but no thanks.’

I get it. Barzillai was getting old. I’m sure he felt as if his glory days were over. Who could blame him?

But now let’s compare 80 year old Barzillai to 85 year old Caleb.

Joshua’s friend, Caleb, had been waiting 40 years for his promised land. He wasn’t going to let age stop him.

“So here I am today, eighty-five years old!  I am 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.”

In other words, Age ain’t nothing but a number!

So maybe you are having one of those Barzillai kind of days. You feel as if your best days are behind you. Allow me to speak a life giving word  over you today….May your later years be greater than your former years.

We still have songs to sing, sermons to preach, blogs to write, people to encourage, and work to do. Like Caleb, we still  have territories to conquer!

Don’t give up now!  In the words of my Ammachi….You, my friend, are better than Barzillai.

Let’s have some chocolate and get to work!

-Binu