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April 4 Daily Devotional

Old Age, Gray Hairs

Peter G. Feenstra

O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come. Ps. 71:17–18

Bible Reading

Psalm 92:5–15

Devotional

When children lose their first teeth they are excited! It means they are getting older. They proudly wear their toothless smile. Birthdays are preceded by weeks of eager expectation for young boys and girls. They can’t wait until they get as “big” as their dad or mom. Teenagers eagerly wait for the day they can drive or get out of the house and gain their independence. Yet by the time a person hits thirty-five he or she isn't so thrilled anymore about the thought of growing older. What woman gazes in the mirror and exuberantly exclaims, “Oh look, I just discovered my first gray hair!” The sight of it may ruin her day. Have you ever heard a woman announce with elation, “Do you know what? I'm getting wrinkles!”

Influenced by a society which idolizes youthfulness, many try to cover every indication of aging. In our Western culture the elderly are made to feel they are on their way out; they are no longer in the mainstream of life. Many men and women have a hard time finding employment if they are over fifty-five.

It is understandable that people don’t look forward to getting old and gray. Growing old has its own challenges. The circle of friends and people in your own age bracket becomes smaller and smaller. Many who were once married spend the last years of their life alone. Nevertheless, when our life is in Christ, there is great comfort in growing older. The book of Proverbs says, “The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is their gray head.” (Proverbs 20:29) Psalm 92 compares senior saints to the mighty cedars of Lebanon. On the outside they show signs of having weathered many storms but on the inside they are still full of sap, bearing fruit in old age.

In Psalm 71 the Holy Spirit teaches us to seek our refuge in God all our days, and to prepare ourselves for the beautiful task given to us as senior citizens. In this prayer the psalmist recognizes what he is called to do in his old age. Pray that our reading and meditating on this psalm may help every church member to acknowledge the role of senior saints. May this psalm be an encouragement to those whose eyes grow dim. God’s unseen footprints are cutting out a path for us to travel from our youth to old age.

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