Reading: Psalm 71
(Verses 9-18)
Do not cast me away when I am old;
do not forsake me when my strength is gone.
For my enemies speak against me;
those who wait to kill me conspire together.
They say, “God has forsaken him;
pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.”
Do not be far from me, my God;
come quickly, God, to help me.
May my accusers perish in shame;
may those who want to harm me
be covered with scorn and disgrace.
As for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more
My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds,
of your saving acts all day long—
though I know not how to relate them all.
I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign LORD;
I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
Since my youth, God, you have taught me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
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 (NIV).
Early morning shadows — photo by David Kitz
Reflection
I am officially a senior, and I am inching my way toward my seventieth year. With each passing year I can more fully identify with the psalmist’s prayer. For those of us in our sixth decade and beyond, great wisdom can be found in this psalm. As physical vitality declines, more and more we come to rely on the strength of God.
The psalmist laments, “For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together.”
Our enemies don’t all strut about on two legs. Some of them creep into our lives in more subtle forms like discouragement, depression, dementia and disease. These are the more common enemies that conspire against us. When they gain the upper hand, our golden years lose their lustre. Against this backdrop the psalmist is defiant. He takes his stand. As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more…
Having come this far by the grace of God, this is not the time to retreat… till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.
Response: LORD God, thank you for your presence with me since my youth. Continue to fill my life with joy, meaning and purpose. Day by day, be my help and strength until I see you face to face. Amen.
Your Turn: Do you look forward to your golden years?
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Thanks for reblogging.
You’re very welcome David
I so appreciate this. Thank you. I just turned 65 in December and am a caregiver for the elderly. I witness many of these enemies in their lives, mostly in the way of hopelessness. I have experienced some of all of these demons also, and age has a way of spotlighting them.
May we be like Caleb who at 85 had this testimony…
“I am eighty-five years old today. I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in.”
Spiritual warfare does not end because we get older….it changes its strategies.
I love your insight on the Psalms.
Thanks for sharing your insight on this important matter, Mary. Yes, let’s stay feisty like Caleb. He’s a great example for us to ponder and emulate as we age.
As physical vitality declines, more and more we come to rely on the strength of God.
and that’s what God wants all along, doesn’t He?
Amen!
Having come this far by the grace of God, this is not the time to retreat…
This is the time to realign. Press forward. Listen to Him closely and go where He wants us to go.
Blessings
Janis
So true! Thanks, Janis.
This is a good Psalm for those young too, since we will all age. Thanks David!
You are right about that, Jim. Lord, teach us to number our days and gain a heart of wisdom.
Amen
haha I’m in my golden years but I do look forward to us moving closer to the coast and northward where this old body will feel not feel this winter chill.
Draw us closer, Lord!