504_Faith that grows stronger with age

Psalm 71 In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame!
2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me, and save me!
3 Be to me a rock of refuge,
to which I may continually come;
you have given the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.

4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.
5 For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
6 Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;
you are he who took me from my mother’s womb.
My praise is continually of you.

7 I have been as a portent to many,
but you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
and with your glory all the day.
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
forsake me not when my strength is spent.
10 For my enemies speak concerning me;
those who watch for my life consult together
11 and say, “God has forsaken him;
pursue and seize him,
for there is none to deliver him.”

12 O God, be not far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!

An old man owned a stout, weathered walking stick. It wasn’t fancy—just a sturdy piece of wood, smoothed and darkened by years of use. Whenever he went on walks with his grandson, he leaned on that stick—not just for support, but almost as if it were an old friend. His grandson once asked him why he didn’t buy a newer, lighter one. He smiled and said, “This stick has been with me for many years. It’s carried me through uneven paths, steep hills, and slippery ground. It’s not just a stick—it’s part of my journey.”

The child didn’t understand his grandpa’s statement at the time. As he grew, he realized that the old walking stick was more than a tool—it supported his grandpa’s confidence in his mobility. In the same way, the psalmist in Psalm 71 leaned on God as his unfailing support through every stage of life. And as he grew older and weaker, his dependence and his confidence only deepened.

Psalm 71 testifies to the righteousness and strength of God. It is the song of one who had walked with God for a lifetime and found Him faithful at every step. As the old man looks back, he remembers God’s steadfast care. Yet his words are not just reminiscences of the past—they are the confident prayers of one who knows that the God who carried him through youth will not abandon him in old age.

He begins in trust: “In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.” As his strength faded and his enemies threatened his life, it would have been natural for him to feel vulnerable. As we age, we may lose confidence in our abilities. We may even need others to take care of our daily needs. That can be humbling—sometimes painfully so. But the psalmist does not cling to self-sufficiency; he clings to the promise of God, who said in Isaiah 46:4, “Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.”

To the one who trusts God, he is not distant. He is a rock, a fortress, a refuge—unchanging when everything else changes. Such a man comes to God continually, not just in crisis but as a habit, a way of life. As he faces opposition in his declining years, there are those who mock him, who believe that God has abandoned him. Yet he is not consumed by self-pity. He knows his God, and therefore, “My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day.”

Yet he prays earnestly: “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent.” Amidst the unpredictable troubles of age, his trust is in the presence of God. Faced by ridicule and injustice, he appeals to God’s righteousness as his defence and shield. With faith he declares, “But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.”

This is how we live when we refuse to let hardships define the final chapters of our lives. Our remaining days become an opportunity to proclaim God’s mighty deeds to the next generation. As the psalmist says, “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 another generation.”

What a goal—not to just fade comfortably out of life, but to glorify God to the end by demonstrating the power of God through one’s entire life, until the very end! This man has learned that trials are not wasted. He acknowledges that God has allowed him to “see many troubles and calamities,” but he knows that God will “revive me again.” Experience has taught him that God’s purposes run deeper than the pain, and His power is able to lift him up from even the lowest point.

Thus, the psalmist sings with joy for God’s righteous help. He uses multiple instruments – the harp, the lyre, his voice of praise – to extol God’s righteousness in helping him.
There is no bitterness, no regret—only gratitude. His faith has not withered with age; it has ripened, grown fuller, richer, and more resilient.

In a world that often sidelines the elderly, treating them as burdens or ignoring their wisdom, this psalm is a reminder that God values every season of our lives. His glory in our lives does not vanish when our hair turns gray or our steps slow down. Often, those who have walked longest with Him often have the deepest testimonies to share. As we become weak and forgetful, and often incompetent, with age, let us remember His works of grace and still praise him. Let us cultivate a spirit of constant thankfulness in the days of our youth. Then it will continue to fill our hearts with praise as we grow older.

As Paul wrote in Philippians 2:14-15, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” The habit of gratitude and trust in youth becomes the strength and song of our old age.

If we want to grow in faith as we grow old, we must start leaning on God now. Just as the old man’s walking stick was worn smooth by years of faithful service, our trust in God must be shaped and strengthened by daily use—through prayer, through obedience, through moments of finding refuge in his righteousness and power, even when we cannot stand on our own.

One day, each of us will face the reality of fading strength. Before that, if we learn to lean on God all the time, then, when the harder days come, leaning on Him will not be a strange or desperate act—it will be the most natural thing in the world.

Let us, then, cling to Him now. Let us treasure and care for the elderly people of God among us. They are not just people at the end of their journey, but those who carry years of God’s faithfulness in their stories. Let us live so that when we look back, we will find no regret—only joy in proclaiming His righteousness to those who come after us. It is in his righteousness that he delivers us. He counts our faith to us for righteousness’ sake. This God is our God. He who carries us in youth will carry us to the very end, and beyond.