Q:My mom and I read the Bible before my bed time. We read in Genesis that people lived to be several hundred years old. How was that possible, how did their bodies remain strong?

A:It's so wonderful to hear that you are reading God's Word! It will continue to bless you in so many ways. It's also great to hear your question. It shows that you're listening, learning, and interested in God's Word.

The Bible tells us that people lived a long time (hundreds of years) up until the time of the flood. This long life span was normal until people started causing too much trouble. God said in Genesis 6:3, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years." This caused a big change in how long people lived. If you keep reading you'll see that after the flood people's life spans became closer to what we know today. It all happened very gradually. God made an adjustment in His original plan.

How did they stay strong for so long? The Bible teaches us that God caused this strength to happen. The Bible says this about Moses, "Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone" (Deuteronomy 34:7). God was the one who kept people strong into their old age.