Deuteronomy 34:7  Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. (NIV)

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I decided in high school that I would stay in athletic trim all of my adult life. That lasted until I got to college and discovered pastrami sandwiches and other delicacies I had never known. 

Predictably, I have spent most of my adult life trying to get back into good physical condition. I have resolved more New Year’s goals regarding diet and exercise than I can remember.

Moses never wrote a diet book. He wrote a lot about what God said we could and couldn’t eat, but no Hebrew Hummus and Homemade Manna. He didn’t write a book on physical exercise like Forty Years to Washboard Abs. Even so, check out what the verse above says about him.

Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.

How many one-hundred-twenty-year-olds do you know? How many of those still have a spring in their step? How many of those still climb mountains? How many of those are begging for more? 

When God called Moses way back there at the burning bush, he equipped him with everything he needed to accomplish the adventure before him. Moses needed a long life and good health to do the work and to complete the mission. What he needed, God provided. Moses’ whole life is evidence enough for all people across time to learn the lesson that where God guides, God provides.

How springy are your steps today? How clearly do you hear God’s voice? How well do you see what he sees?

I’m probably not going to make it to 120. My springs squeak. My eyes require fine-tuning. And, could you speak up a little when there’s background noise? 

Don’t get me started on my next surgery.

I’m never going back to high school conditioning, and I don’t want to. I am moving forward with the strength God gives me. I’m pretty sure I will ask God for more time to complete a few more tasks when the time comes for me to climb my last mountain. 

Rumor has it, the best we will ever be will not be found at the gym, but on the other side of that curtain where Moses is fit, trim, and glowing with the goodness of God. 

High School Dave had fitness goals. Grownup Dave has finishing goals. They are not about physical capacities, but about enjoying the journey and the destination. 

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I will follow God’s guidance and finish well.

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Our Father, finishing well is harder than it appears. So few do it well. Keep me in step with you. Show me the way I should go. Empower me to complete this journey well. Amen.