Psalm 71:1-14

“Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent.” vs. 9

For a lot of folks life can roll along pretty smoothly for a long time. Oh, there are the usual bumps and bruises, and maybe even a few detours along the way. But as the years pass, the usual pattern is followed: there’s perhaps marriage, maybe a couple of kids or more, a solid job with benefits, for some a loving congregation, and of course, good health. We can live a life like that without even thinking very much about it. One day follows another and then all of a sudden, we’re all grown up! And so are our children! And the health and vigor that we’d so taken for granted can begin to slip away. We fight it, of course we do, and enroll in yoga and fitness classes, keep track of daily steps, and kid ourselves into believing that we’ve entered the “golden years.” And then one day, with balding heads and graying hair, we start having a tough time getting out of our recliners, and whether we like it or not, we’ve grown old! And like the psalmist, out of the confines of our senior living communities, we make a final plea to God. “Do not cast me off…do not forsake me when my strength is spent.” And God says, “Don’t fret, my faithful child, I heard your borning cry. I was there in your beginning, I’ll be there at your end!”

Thought for the Day: At what point does a person grow old?