It’s Never Too Late to Follow God’s Call

by Rick Warren — November 22, 2021
From Uncommon Courage

“Now here I am, eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out, and I am just as ready to fight now as I was then. So give me the mountain country the LORD promised me that day long ago.”

Joshua 14:10-12 (NCV)

It’s never too late to follow God’s calling on your life.

After Moses sent 12 spies into the Promised Land, they returned and reported that the land was too hard a place for God’s people to settle. And because of their unbelief, the Israelites wandered around in the desert for another 40 years. An entire generation died because they did not believe in God’s promises. But Caleb and Joshua believed, so they got to live.

When the Israelites returned to the Promised Land 40 years later, Caleb said, “Now here I am, eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out, and I am just as ready to fight now as I was then. So give me the mountain country the LORD promised me that day long ago” (Joshua 14:10-12 NCV).

“Give me the mountain country”—I love that! The land Caleb wanted was full of giants and cities fortified with great walls. He was saying to God, “Give me the biggest assignment. Give me the hardest city. Give me the place with the biggest giants. Give me the mountain regions. I don’t want some easy place. I know I’m 85 years old, but I’ve still got it in me to do great things for you.”

When I bought a birthday card for my granddaughter, I noticed something I’d never seen before in the greeting card section. They now have an entire section that offers birthday cards for the 80th, 85th, 90th, 95th, and even 100th birthdays! Growing up, I didn’t see those kinds of cards, because most people didn’t live that long. But now, life expectancy is much higher.

If you’re an older adult, you may think it’s time to hang it up. I’m telling you, it’s time to get it down and dust it off! Do you think God is going to let you live 30 more years just to play golf?

Here’s a word that’s not in the Bible: retirement. You may stop working, but you keep serving the Lord. You have more wisdom and experience now than when you were younger, and God is not going to waste that.

At the age of 85, Caleb began the greatest mission of his life. Moses was 80 when God called him to set God’s people free. Abraham was 79 when he received God’s call.

If you are in the Caleb generation, please believe that it’s never too late to start on your life calling. The best is yet to come!

Talk It Over

  • If you are in the Caleb generation, how do you want your “retirement years” to count for God’s Kingdom? How will you pursue your calling in the next 10, 20, or 30 years?
  • How does the way you save for retirement reflect what you want to accomplish for God?
  • No matter what stage of life you are in, what are you doing to pursue what you believe God has called you to do?

Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.