Old Age
And Gray Hairs
O God, do not be far from me; O my
God, make haste to help me! Let my accuser be put to shame and consumed; let
those who seek to hurt me be covered with scorn and disgrace. But I will hope
continually, and will praise you yet more and more. My mouth will tell of your
righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all day long, though their number is
past my knowledge. I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD, I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.
O God, from my youth you have taught
me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray
hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to all the
generations to come. Your power and your righteousness, O God, reach the high
heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?
Getting older does not mean becoming
obsolete. It can mean growing, maturing, serving,
ministering, venturing, and enjoying ourselves to the end of our days.
To idle away our last years is to rob
ourselves of what cold be the best years of our lives and to deprive the church
of gifts God has given to enrich it. There is still service to be rendered and
there are victories to be won.
Some older folks may not have the
energy or inclination for leadership but they are an invaluable asset to the
next generation of leaders. We should remain open to being used by God to
enrich others’ lives. Our greatest usefulness may be to pass our understanding
of God on to others.
To forget the
elderly is to ignore
the wisdom of the
years.
Our Daily
Bread –