June
26
Psalm
69:25--Psalm 73:24
TAUGHT BY GOD FROM CHILDHOOD
Psalm 71:9
"Cast me not off
in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength
faileth.
When we think of the
psalms, we think of "music"--music played on a
string instrument. I suppose the instrument was like the
"harp" that young David used to sooth Saul’s
melancholy. Today we have read a collection of
devotional poetry found in the third division of the
Hebrew cannon. It is called
"the writings."
There are several
verses in today’s reading that refer to "old age."
The psalmist recalls in verse 5 that the LORD was
his HOPE since his youth. The word "hope"
means "something in the future. It is something
assured." In other words, when we "HOPE," we can’t
see the "NOW." We look forward to the fulfillment
of that which we are looking for or expecting.
We read in I Peter 1:3
that according to the abundant mercy of God, the Father,
and the LORD JESUS CHRIST, we have been begotten
(fathered) unto a lively (active) HOPE. We have
that HOPE because of the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Because He rose from the dead, we who know Jesus
Christ as personal Saviour, will be raised from the dead
also. That is a LIVING HOPE!
The psalmist declared,
"Thou art my trust from my youth!" He said that the
Lord GOD was his "REFUGE." This "REFUGE" is the
older man’s PLACE OF SAFETY! God was a place
to run to in great distress. How often we have done
this, too! When life is overwhelming, we rush to our
room and run to God in prayer. We seek assurance from
His WORDS, don’t we?
Now the man is old. He
begs God, "Cast me not off in the time of old age"
(vs. 9). Sometimes we have seen old men or women on
the street. They are poor and hungry. They feel like
castoffs. It is very sad. The psalmist must have had
such a fear. His strength is waning. He can’t do the
things he used to do. He cried out to God,
"Forsake me not when my strength faileth."
It is very sad to see
a man who had been strong and viral, bent over in pain
and weakness. Still he is proud! He said,"Thou art my
trust from my youth!" He is determined to do what he
can; yet he knows that he is weak. His soul cries out to
his Maker, "Do not forsake me now that I am weak."
Sometimes men are forsaken in their old age. They are
not asked to do anything. Young men think they are no
good.
I remember my Dad who
was a friendly, outgoing man. He was in his late
seventies or early eighties. It was his custom to stand
at the church door and greet people. He did this for
years. Then he lost his leg and was in a wheel chair. He
still wanted to be at the door and welcome folks to the
services. A new pastor came. He did not want my father
there greeting visitors; yet, he would send a deacon to
my father’s house every week for his offering. Yes, the
pastor would take my father’s money, but he did not want
my Dad out front shaking hands. I suppose it was bad for
the church image. In reality, it was unkind! It hurt my
daddy. My father was "cast off" in the time of
his old age.
Like my father, God
had taught the psalmist the things of God and His Words
from his youth. What an honor to know Jesus Christ from
an early age! What a privilege to read God’s Holy Word
daily from childhood! In verse 17. the writer declared
God’s wonderful works! He could not stop praising the
LORD! Oh, that we would do that, too! He said,"Thou
art my trust from my youth!"
Then in our old age,
we can know that we have been faithful to our Heavenly
Father all the days of our lives. (ysw)
"THE
BIBLE"
(II Timothy
3:16)
What a blessed
fact that our Bible–
its sixty-six
books–
in the original
language is exempt from error.
INERRANT and
INFALLIBLE
CERTAIN!
A miracle book!
God used
fallible men
born along by
the Holy Spirit!
Every letter of
every word in every part
VERBAL--PLENARY!
GIVEN FOR OUR
LEARNING
(GGS)
