Proverbs in 365 Devotions
31 Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life. 32 Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
by Robin Aylor
To be a hero like the brave men and women in storybooks may sound enticing. A renown knight or fierce warrior who risk life and limb to stand up for those who have been treated unjustly. I think we all have some sense of adventure and drive to help save the day, even with an appreciation of justice built into our frame.
At some point in those exciting storybooks the hero seeks his purpose and begins doing valiant things. He usually winds up getting awarded gifts or public acknowledgment for his good deeds. A knight who wins wars and saves the kingdom might be given a parade. They may be offered riches or a part of the kingdom; they may even inherit the thrown.
But there is another hero who is better than the mighty one who takes a city. The crown they wear is not of public adoration or one an earthly king might wear. Their life spent battling evil was not to establish a self made righteousness nor was it motivated from glory bestowed by man. But throughout life this person pulled friends who strayed into the jungles of adulterous relationships from the mouth of lions, they rescued friends from giants of alcoholism and the claws of greed and and anger… they helped save marriages, they raised godly families… with children who would go on to follow in their footsteps as heroes who would make a difference. You likely know some of these heroes. For now the crown they wear is their simple, it is their plain and yet glorious grey hair.
In the early days of these heroes, they were given a strange gift; and yet a miraculous wondrous one. It was a gift of enlightenment to see truth in the oracles of God. It was not a gift that most of the world desired in any way. It was a gift of insight to see into themselves that they were needy broken men and women like the rest of the world. They had no righteousness in themselves; they deserved no glory. With their God gifted humility they were also given a new supernatural heart able to live a righteous life.
Thats how heroes are made; not self made by man but by God. As they grow old in this world, God gives them this temporary grey crown that can serve as a reminder that they will get to share in the glory of his kingdom forever. And these do persevere to the end, even in old age they go back out into that same broken world that needs rescued share the treasure how Jesus is the only hope for their brokenness.