It is true that Singapore faces a silver tsunami in the coming years. Society views ageing as a challenge, and the elderly as a problem to be solved. But God has a very different view of those with grey hairs. 

At the inaugural NCW60 Conference in 2025, Co-Chair of the Network for Christian Women (NCW), Ho Wan Leng shared the biblical view of old age. Salt&Light reproduces her message with permission. 

We have heard it over and over: Singapore is an ageing population. By 2030, one quarter of our society will be aged 65 and above. 

The narrative surrounding old age is often negative:

• In the workplace, we are often told to make way for leadership and workforce renewal. 
• At home, we may face the lonely remains of an empty nest. 
• In popular culture, the young are portrayed as being full of energy, excitement and potential, but seniors are stereotyped as dwindling in energy and diminishing in relevance. 

Truth be told, we often find ourselves buying into these prevailing negative perceptions. 

We must be careful what we believe in, because our beliefs can shape our reality. 

If one quarter of our society is written off as “low-energy”, “over the hill” and “past our prime”, the implications on our socio-economic landscape will be profound. 

Against this backdrop, I believe it is time for us to reclaim the narrative of ageing, and look at our latter years through a biblical lens.

3 things God envisions for your latter years

Here’s the good news: The Bible paints a vibrant vision of our latter years – far richer and more encouraging than conventional wisdom suggests.

Psalms 92:12-14 presents a beautiful picture of flourishing and fruitfulness:

“The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green…”

If we live righteously in our younger days, in our latter years, we can flourish like a palm tree and to grow like the cedar. Photo from Depositphotos.com.

In a nutshell, these verses exhort us to righteous living in our younger days, so that in our latter years, we can flourish like a palm tree and to grow like the cedar.

Who are the righteous? They are those who walk in a right relationship with God. They are not perfect, but they desire to align their lives with His ways and to seek to live faithfully under His guidance. In Him and through Him, we can all be righteous.

In Psalm 92, I see 3 things God envisions for our latter years:

1. Flourish like a palm tree

The palm tree mentioned here is likely to be the date palm. It was the most valued tree in biblical times, and also the longest living palm, probably lasting 100 to 150 years. 

The date palm is considered a very useful tree, because of the delicious dates that it produces, the shade that it provides, and the various uses of the tree trunk. 

The date palm produces delicious dates, provides shade and its trunk can be used for various things. Photo courtesy of Kerin Yin.

It is fruitful, resilient and has enduring value.

To flourish like a palm tree is to be able to thrive in the hardest of places, producing fruitfulness — not for ourselves, but to bless others around us.

2. Grow like a cedar

The cedars of Lebanon were majestic trees. Among the various choices of timber available, they were the heavyweights.

Due to their great strength, they were sought after for building ships and palaces. King Solomon used them to build the Temple in Jerusalem. 

To grow like a cedar is to have enduring strength. It means that you have true spiritual depth and lasting strength that can only be formed over time and through testing. 

If you have been walking with God over the years, through both sunshine and storm, I believe God has been growing you year after year. 

You have weathered the winds, survived dry seasons, and held on through trials that younger trees may not even have survived or endured. 

And now, you are still standing, you are still rooted, you are still bearing fruit!

Far from being irrelevant, you are a resilient resource, an eye-witness to a lifetime of God’s faithfulness. 

3. Bear fruit in old age

In God’s eyes, spiritual fruitfulness doesn’t end with age. 

In fact, age can bring on wisdom, legacy, and deep influence — just as it did for Abraham and Moses. 

Yes, the fruit may look a little bit different as we age.

Perhaps there is less productivity, but there can be more presence, mentorship, prayer, and blessing — still deeply significant!

We may get slower in our old age but we can still serve God in powerful ways. Photo from Depositphotos.com.

You may have less energy, but you possess more strength and depth. 

Our body may weaken, but our faith can grow stronger. 

Challenges like health issues and the loss of loved ones may test our faith, but then again, isn’t that a season and an opportunity to lean into God’s presence like never before? 

The testimonies of His faithfulness in the past will give you confidence for the future, so that you may say to God: “I have tasted of Your goodness… Lord, do it again!”

Which worldview will you subscribe to?

Taken together, these verses paint a compelling picture of our latter years: Deeply anchored like the cedar, and yet visibly fruitful like the palm. 

In today’s terminology, seniors would be called the palm-and-cedar hybrid! 

To the world, old age may mean retirement and retreat. It is commonly associated with decline — physically, mentally, vocationally. It carries assumptions like diminishing relevance, limited energy, and waning influence. 

But in God’s Kingdom, old age can mean renewed purpose and lasting impact. It is not about growing weaker, but becoming more seasoned, more defined, and more useful in God’s hands. 

Which worldview will you subscribe to? Whose report will you believe — the world’s or the Word?

God never retires His people

We see in the Bible, from Old Testament to New Testament, that God never retires His people. 

Abraham left for the land of Canaan at age 75. 

Moses encountered the burning bush at age 80.

Anna saw the Messiah at age 84. 

Caleb claimed his inheritance at 85. 

Sarah became the mother of nations at age 90. 

Closer to home, Rev Dr Naomi Dowdy founded the Network for Christian Women in 2014 at age 79. She is 91 this year. 

Pastor Naomi Dowdy, co-founder of NCW exemplifies bearing fruit for God in old age. Photo courtesy of NCW.

So, if you are planning for retirement, bad news!

If you live a righteous life, there is no such thing as retirement, because God never retires His people.

What I mean is this: You may have stepped back from the demands of a full-time job, but God still has an assignment waiting for you. 

As long as you have breath, He has a purpose for your life. 

What is your next mountain?

Here are some things to pray about: 

• If you are now free from the demands of a career, or if you are starting to cut down on your hours at work, you are in a unique position to influence others and minister to them like never before. 

• If you are a parent or grandparent, you may have someone in your family — your son, daughter or grandchildren — who has not come to know God yet, or who has left the faith. Present them before God and declare: “God, let my faithfulness impact the generations after me!”

As a grandparent, you can present your grandhchildren to God and declare His goodness over them. Photo from Depositphotos.com.

• We know that women tend to live longer than men. Over time, this means that the female population in our churches will grow. Yet women Pastors remain significantly fewer than their male counterparts. The harvest is ripe, but the workers are few. In light of this, can you see the road ahead? Can you see the possibilities and envision your role in the near future, in ministry and in the Kingdom of God?

The gift in our years 

In the world, seniors are often set aside. But in God’s world, seniors are set apart. 

You may not run as fast, but you walk with greater depth. 

You may not serve like before, but you shape lives through prayer, stories, and presence. 

There is much more in you than you realise!

You can flourish and be fruitful in every season. 

Not because of your pace, but because of your purpose. Not because of your energy, but because of your endurance. 

Not because of your youth, but because of God’s faithfulness over the years. 

I invite you to pray along with me: “Lord, I don’t want to waste any more time. I want to flourish in the years that You are giving me!” 

This is your time to rise, not to retreat. 

Take your place in the courts of the Lord.

Your greatest ministry may still lie ahead. What is your next mountain?

Ho Wan Leng will be a plenary speaker at the NCW60 Conference for women and men aged 60 and above, on April 16 & 17, 2026. Those in their 50s are also welcome. To find out more or register, click here.

Wan Leng became the President of the Network for Christian Women (NCW) at age 60. Now at 62, she serves as Co-Chair of NCW, alongside 91-year-old Rev Dr Naomi Dowdy. The Founder and CEO of Optimal Consulting Group which operates across five Asian nations, Wan Leng also serves on the Executive Church Board of Grace Assembly of God. A graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary, she preaches regularly in Singapore and overseas.

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