Getting Old: 10 Bible Verses to Inspire and Encourage

All of us fear getting old in some way or another, but the Bible makes it clear that God walks with you always during your days on earth. The human body was meant to live forever, but since the Fall, it has become a thing of decay that will age and die and be laid to rest in the ground to await the Resurrection while our souls join our Lord in heaven.

We see friends and family members pass away before us, and usually our parents as well. When fear and loneliness sets in regarding frailty and illness and becoming dependent on others, it’s critical to remember the promises that God will never leave you; He will care for you every day of your life.

Verses about Getting Old in the Bible

Here are some encouraging verses about getting old in the Bible.

Even to your old age and grey hairs, I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. – Isaiah 46: 4, NIV

The Lord knows us before we are born. He watches over our lives from our first baby steps, through adolescence, our first clumsy attempts at romance, marriage, the birth of our children and their growing up, our fights and make-ups, into our mature years.

If we are destined to live a long life, He guides us through our golden years till death takes us home to him. Getting old in the Bible was never to be feared as you became a respected elder with much knowledge gained from your long years of life. You may become forgetful, but you are never forgotten by God.

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them’ – Ecclesiastes 12:1, NIV

Solomon is exhorting us here to not waste our early years, but to fill them with joy; life is brief and you soon stand before God in judgment. What follows this verse is what happens in the aging process. Sight grows dim, hearing diminishes, bones become brittle and the body slows and weakens.

What gave us pleasure in earlier years is now tiresome to us and difficult to do due to frailty; “the grasshopper drags himself along.” So give thanks to the Lord for the blessings bestowed upon you. Each day is a gift. The verses about getting old in the Bible teach us patience with ourselves and others during these years.

And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life” – 1 Kings 3:14, NIV

God is talking to Solomon in a dream, but he regretfully does not do what God wants completely, so only reigned for forty years. The Lord granted him great wisdom, but he still sacrificed at the temple altar and had many wives and concubines. Are any of us perfect?

No, we all stumble and fall, often back on the old ways that we feel comfortable with. Treading a new path with God is difficult. When we’re older, more so. Getting old as shown in the Bible brings us knowledge, but not always wisdom. We need to persist in our efforts to change.

Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these? For it is not wise to ask such questions. – Ecclesiastes 7:10, NIV

You have heard this phrase before. The older you are, the more you look at the “old days” believing life was better, cheaper, safer, and easier. Truth be told, they were no better. We see the past through rose-tinted glasses, as the phrase goes.

Reflecting on the past can make us grumpy and negative, and takes away from the good things of the present. The Bible warns against this habit and encourages us to go forward with trust and patience in the Lord’s ways, and not look back.

Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord. – Leviticus 19:32, NIV

Leviticus 19 is full of instruction for the people of God. This verse commands us to show respect for the aged, for they know so much about life and how to live it. Respecting your elders grows out of respecting our parents and the decisions they made when they were young.

Such verses on getting old in the Bible illustrate for the younger generation the need to acknowledge all that has been achieved by our elders during their lifetimes. It also affirms that old age is not something to be feared, but that there is honor and respect in having reached a mature age.

Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. – 1 Timothy 5:1-2, NIV

This verse shows one practical outworking of the true Christian faith: honoring the old and helping the young to understand the world in which we live. Getting old as we have been shown in the Bible is not easy. We grow frustrated at our illnesses and frailties, but with God’s help, we can remain strong and vital with good eyesight, like Moses.

The length of our days is seventy years – or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. – Psalms 90:10, NIV

The older you get, the more you feel that the years are slipping by faster than ever. Verse 12 tells us to number our days, so that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Live your life to the fullest. Only God knows how many years He has allotted to us.

Getting old as we see in the Bible, can be frightening for those who have families in other lands, but you can hopefully rely on your close friends or church to support you in trying times. Seek His answers to your questions.

Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone. – Psalms 71:9, NIV

King David wrote many Psalms along with other writers. This tells the story of an anonymous saint who never gave up on God saving him from his enemies. He was tired but kept his faith in the Lord to protect him. So should we.

God sees all and we need to remember that fact. There is always a solution to your problems through the Lord. Getting old is made easier through Him. Pray to Him even when times are good. Thank Him for your many blessings.

They will still bear fruit in old age; they will stay fresh and green. – Psalm 92:14, NIV

The Bible tells us that Abraham, a prophet called upon by God to found a new nation in a land he later learned was Canaan, died finally at a hundred and seventy-five. He led a very full life, begetting Isaac when he was in his seventies. We can see in the Bible that getting old still held out the hope of a productive life.

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there. The Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body. – Philippians 3:20-21, NIV

This verse puts getting old into perspective – we are moving closer toward being transformed into a body that is like “His glorious body.” What better way to go through the perils of the world, than realizing that in the end, we will be with our Savior in Heaven and that our worldly troubles have ceased?

Getting old is a privilege and an honor, and not something to be feared. Certainly, our bodies become weak and our actions are limited, but we can still praise God every day in our old age, as we look forward to coming home!