Aging Well
Opening Prayer
God in heaven, You are the Almighty King. I thank You that in Your Son, You call me friend.
Read PSALM 71
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
2 In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
turn your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my rock of refuge,
to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.
5 For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,
my confidence since my youth.
6 From birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
I will ever praise you.
7 I have become a sign to many;
you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendor all day long.
9 Do not cast me away when I am old;
do not forsake me when my strength is gone.
10 For my enemies speak against me;
those who wait to kill me conspire together.
11 They say, “God has forsaken him;
pursue him and seize him,
for no one will rescue him.”
12 Do not be far from me, my God;
come quickly, God, to help me.
13 May my accusers perish in shame;
may those who want to harm me
be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14 As for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds,
of your saving acts all day long—
though I know not how to relate them all.
16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord;
I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
17 Since my youth, God, you have taught me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
18 Even when I am old and gray,
do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
your mighty acts to all who are to come.
19 Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,
you who have done great things.
Who is like you, God?
20 Though you have made me see troubles,
many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.
21 You will increase my honor
and comfort me once more.
22 I will praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,
Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praise to you—
I whom you have delivered.
24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
all day long,
for those who wanted to harm me
have been put to shame and confusion.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
Whatever our age, we may trust and praise God!
Think Further
The western world’s approach to aging is largely characterized by denial or fear. Symptoms of this include the growing popularity of cosmetic surgery, the resurgence of aging rock stars and a widespread unwillingness to be thought of as old. The label of “senior” is resisted by many from the baby boomer generation (those born between 1946 and 1964). However, God is our God at every stage of life, our relationship with him bringing purpose and significance and the promise of his love into each season. This psalm is a prayer for God’s help in the face of aging (9,18), in the midst of threats from enemies wanting to take advantage of what they see as the king’s declining strength.
The combination of lament and thanksgiving indicate that it was an individual lament. Ascribed by most commentators to David in later life, it is rich with insights into God’s character. It is his confidence in the righteous character of God (2,15,16,19,24) that inspires his trust, coupled with his personal experience down the years. He states that God has been his confidence since he was young, no doubt recalling how he stood against Goliath (1 Sam. 17; 21:9), the problems his
anointing as king created with Saul (1 Sam. 18:8–12) and the many pressures he faced and mistakes he made over the years.
My favorite phrase is, “As for me, I shall always have hope” (14). The theme of hope is at the heart of this prayer. Beginning with an appeal for help (1–4) and ending with a vow to praise God in anticipation of the assistance he will give (22–24), the psalmist epitomizes hope in God. As an old man, he knew that God was
undoubtedly still with him and for him.
Apply
Either as an older person yourself or as you look forward to that time, consider what God has to say about you, your purpose and your significance in that season.
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, I know that in loving and serving You, I have an all-encompassing purpose. For me, living and dying is for You (Phil. 1:21)!
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