The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 5 January 2024 – Old Age Concerns
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TOPIC: Old Age Concerns
READ: Psalm 71: 1-24(KJV)
1 In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.
2 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.
4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
5 For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth.
6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.
7 I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.
8 Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.
9 Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.
10 For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,
11 Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.
12 O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.
13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.
14 But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.
15 My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.
16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.
17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
18 Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.
19 Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!
20 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
21 Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
22 I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.
24 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.
The MESSAGE:
“I have encouraged her to get pregnant and have one or two children that will look after her in old age.” This conversation with someone I believed was ‘a spiritual elder’ got me thinking. Was she really asking this dear sister who was experiencing delay in marriage to look for someone to get her pregnant without being married? Yes, she was doing exactly that! I realised that concerns for old age can make us prepare in some ways that may negate express instructions of the Bible. For some, it may come in the form of insisting the children study particular courses termed ‘lucrative’ in the university; yet for some, it may come like insisting on the children marrying certain suitors that can be an ‘insurance.’
For the Psalmist, this concern was directed to the Lord, and this should apply to us. He prayed: “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent” (v.9). Everything else and everybody else can fail, but God never fails. The elderly must look to God, but a responsible Christian should also note that looking after aged relatives is godly and actually expected. Choose to be an answer to the prayers of the elderly.
PRAYER: Am I treating elders around me the way I’d like to be treated when I become an elder?
