Even athletes Grow Old

27Why do you complain, Jacob?

Why do you say, Israel,

“My way is hidden from the Lord;

my cause is disregarded by my God”?

28Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

29He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

30Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

31but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

Thoughts: Even young people- strong young people- the strongest grow weary.  The Olympians we see today- handsome and fast, will not be so handsome and fast. Below are pictures of two great American Olympians.  Mark Spitz was one of the greatest Olympians ever.  Mark Spitz won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich games- surpassed only by Michael Phelps.  He was ranked 33 of the top 50 athletes by ESPN in 1999.  Today Spitz is 66 years old (see below) and will not win any more races.  Richard Fosbury invented the famous back jump that enables people to jump higher heights- they named it the Fosbury Flop from the 1968 Mexico City games.   The most beautiful of girls will one day not be so beautiful.  The fastest get slow.  Only God never gives out of energy.  Only the eternal God never grows tires or old.  But in this life, God can give us strength and energy we do not have.  God will, raise our old bodies up to make them new- like Jesus' resurrected bodies.  We do not need to despair about slowing down and getting old.  God renews our strength and gives us eternal life.