Back in the 1970s, Minute Maid came out with a juice blend called Five Alive. I liked it. It was obviously healthy since it was a blend of fruit juices. Also, it contained high fructose corn syrup and twenty-seven grams of sugar. It’s still available in Canada but no longer in the USA. 

As it turns out, a juice box is not the secret elixir of life. An article messed up another part of my healthy breakfast when it declared that eating an orange is much more beneficial than drinking orange juice. Some people want to take all the joy out of life. 

It appears whoever wrote this anonymous psalm was leaning into his latter years. His concern was staying fresh with God. He found the secret of aging well, which had nothing to do with juice boxes. He discovered how, even in his years of diminishing physical strength, his spiritual capacities were developing with unending freshness. 

Twice in this text, as translated by the Christian Standard Bible, we are told the righteous thrive in old age. They still bear fruit. They are healthy and green. The Message paraphrase says, “They’ll grow tall in the presence of God, lithe and green, virile still in old age.”

I like these descriptive words. I hope someday someone will use these descriptors when talking about you and me. Jesus teaches us how to make it so. Look at John 15:5: 

“I am the vine; you are the branches. 
The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, 
because you can do nothing without me.”

A deep and abiding relationship with Jesus keeps us fresh, lithe, green, and virile even in old age. Diminishing physical capacities cannot stop our spiritual vitality. I heard someone say that we are at our physical peak in heaven. That may or may not be true. I really don’t think we will be that concerned with such matters then. However, those with the greatest capacity to enjoy all of God’s wonders will be those who continue deepening their roots and strengthening their connections with Jesus now. 

Today is a good day to live a life deeply rooted in Jesus. Let’s grow ever greener together.

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I will live deeply-rooted in Jesus so that I may thrive now and forever.

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Our Father, cultivate in us the kind of life that thrives now and forever. Keep us healthy and green, lithe and virile, thriving in every season. Increase our capacity for deep relationship with you even as our other abilities diminish. Fit us for maximum enjoyment of heaven’s glories. Amen.