Day 29 — Still Bearing Fruit

“In old age they will still bear fruit; healthy and green they will remain.”

— Psalm 92:14 (BSB)

Have you ever seen a really old tree? Some trees live for hundreds of years. And the healthiest old trees still grow leaves every spring and still bear fruit, even when they’re ancient.

Psalm 92 says people who love God are like that. “In old age they will still bear fruit; healthy and green they will remain.”

Our world often acts like being young and pretty is the best thing a woman can be. Ads, movies and social media are full of young faces. Older women are sometimes ignored or treated as less important.

But God sees it differently. In His eyes, a woman who has walked with Him for many years is like a beautiful, fruitful old tree. She has deep roots. She’s been through storms and still stands. And she keeps bearing fruit: wisdom, kindness, faith and love, that blesses everyone around her.

Remember what we learned about beauty in Book 1? “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” Outer beauty fades as we get older. But a woman who loves God grows more beautiful on the inside every year.

Think about the older women you know who love Jesus: grandmothers, great-aunts, women at church. What makes them beautiful? Often it’s their kind eyes, their laugh, their wisdom, their prayers and the way they make you feel loved. That’s “unfading beauty.”

As you grow up, you’ll get older. That’s part of God’s design too! And every stage of life can be good. You’re growing up now. One day you’ll be a young woman, then a grown woman, and one day, if God gives you a long life, an old woman. At every stage, you can bear fruit for God.

So don’t be afraid of growing older. Look forward to it! Every year you walk with God, your roots grow deeper and your fruit grows sweeter.

Think about it: Who is the most beautiful older woman you know? What makes her beautiful?

Try this: Write a thank-you note to an older woman who has blessed your life. Tell her what makes her beautiful to you.

Dear God, thank You that people who love You keep bearing fruit their whole lives. Help me not to be afraid of growing up or growing older. Help me grow more beautiful on the inside every year, and bear fruit for You my whole life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.