God Is Eternal, But Never Old
Summary
As we age, our bodies weaken, our memories fade, and our definition of old keeps changing. But God never ages. He has no beginning or end, and time cannot diminish His strength, wisdom, or character. Unlike humans, God never grows weary or loses power. He remains eternally the same, from everlasting to everlasting. Because God never changes, we can trust Him through every season of life.
When Does Old Begin?
I recently read an article that described people my age as elderly. Elderly? Really? That word must refer to someone else.
My definition of old keeps moving ahead of me. It is a target I cannot catch and a hat that never seems to fit—although other people may think it fits me perfectly. That raises a larger question: if time makes us old, what does time do to God?
In first grade, I considered seventh graders at my bus stop practically adults. By my preteen years, thirty seemed old. The boundary kept shifting because age looks different in the mirror than on the calendar.
I had unusually long lives close at hand. My father’s mother lived with us until she died in 1972 at 103. Arthritis had greatly limited her movement. My father lived to 102 and was still driving and gardening at 100. Their lives taught me that a person may live a very long time, yet longevity isn’t eternity.
Can God Be Old?
So, how old is God? More precisely, does “old” even apply to Him?
God has more years than we can imagine. Age measures the time since something began, and God had no beginning. Humans become old because time changes us. Because God is eternal, time neither measures nor diminishes Him.
We are finite physical beings trying to understand an infinite spiritual Being. We live in time while God transcends it. Scripture calls Him the One who “lives forever” (Isaiah 57:15) and the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9). That title speaks not of frailty, but of His eternal existence, wisdom, and rule.
Time Changes Us, But Not God
Because God is eternal, time does not change His character (Malachi 3:6). Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). We, on the other hand, have noticed that time messes with us in many ways.
My twelve-year-old self could beat me in a race and probably remember where he left his keys if he had any. I may reject the label old, but I cannot escape the changes that come with time.
That is why “old” does not fit God. Human aging weakens bodies, slows steps, dims senses, and reduces energy. Time gradually wears us down, but it never wears God down.
Strength That Never Fades
Time has no harmful effect on Him. He is never weary (Isaiah 40:28). His strength is unlimited—always has been, always will be.
The God who never tires created everything and sustains it effortlessly. A single pencil possesses a staggering amount of energy. The power required to create and uphold the universe is beyond calculation. Yet God does not strain, weaken, or need to recover.
God Is Eternal
God is God from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 90:2). His years will never end (Psalm 102:27), and His reign has no beginning or end (Psalm 93:2). He will never have a headstone bearing birth and death dates. He is the eternal King (1 Timothy 1:17).
That truth gives changing, aging people a trustworthy place to stand. Our strength fades, our memories falter, and our calendars turn, but God remains. The eternal God is never old, tired, or less than He has always been. Because He does not change, we can trust Him through every change we face.
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