Older, more experienced Christians often have greater troubles, temptations, and difficulties in the world. God has new work for them to do. He now plans that all the graces they have, be used in new and harder ways. They may not find their spiritual desires to be as strong as before or have such delight in spiritual duties as they had before. Because of this, they feel that grace has dried up in them. They do not know where they are or what they are. But in spite of all this, the real work of sanctification is still thriving in them, and the Holy Spirit is still working effectively in them. God is faithful. Therefore, let us cling to our hope without wavering.
-- John Owen
My father faces heart surgery tomorrow. I wonder what he would say with regard to faith, in the face of the difficulties of aging. My guess is, from what I have heard him say, that God is indeed faithful. It strikes me that our sense of faith increases, as our weaknesses increase with age.
