Young or old, you still need protection and sometimes rescue
By Dean Collins
It starts early, really early, like still in the womb early, that we need protection. Human development from conception to birth is truly astonishing. As technology has advanced, we now have amazing photography and videography of human development. We also see all of the ways babies get their needs met by the mother’s body until the time of birth. The psalmist said in 71:6 he had leaned upon the Lord from before his birth! Jeremiah said the same thing (1:5).
We can all speculate, and science might one day confirm, what a baby knows before birth. Meanwhile, I think we can be confident that an omniscient God knows us in the womb and beyond. The psalmist and the prophet may have been expressing what wisdom had taught them, God is dependable in every stage of life. In fact, in Psalm 71 the psalmist described how God was reliable and present before birth, in our youth (vv. 5,17), and at old age (vv. 9,18).
Every stage of life
God is present, available, and fully capable in every stage of life. And it’s a good thing because as you’ve probably noticed, he is needed at every stage of life. Regardless of age or experience, life presents many challenges. Mom or Dad might be the obvious ones to help the baby or small child. But it’s not very long before youth discover that parents are, in fact, not God and can’t always be there and solve everything. Part of human growth and development is cultivating independence and self-responsibility. But we usually learn—and sometimes the hard way—that complete independence can be a train wreck. None of us is fully self-sufficient, no matter how much we claim to be in our most arrogant moments. We all need help and more often than we realize.
Learning as the psalmist did that God is for us and our ever-present refuge can be both comfort and victory for us in seasons of struggle. Wise King Solomon helped the Byrds with some lyrics and a lot of truth. There is a season for everything and for everyone. Life is filled with joyous and difficult times. And we each have a limited number of minutes and years in our skin on this earth trying to make a difference.
Considering our legacy
Verse 18 makes me think of some people I know. The psalmist prayed, “So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those who come.” Many of my gray-haired friends spend energy pondering their legacy. In computer terms, a legacy system is one considered outdated and therefore increasingly irrelevant. But I’ve seen many times when companies upgraded to the newest and best systems and failed to capture some of the information the legacy system possessed. When that happens, something is lost or takes significant work to find and rebuild. Legacy can be important.
For everyday believers, a legacy can be positive but also prideful if the legacy is simply about everyone remembering how great we thought we were when the earth was privileged to feel our footsteps. If I understand this psalm properly, it’s saying we all have a responsibility to the next generation to learn the dependability of God. While we are here, our greatest gift to the next generation is to understand that a relationship with almighty God through his Son Jesus is not only possible but essential to a full and abundant life. And with that life comes the knowledge of the ever-present refuge that God is for each of us forever.
The older I get, the more joy I have when I see a younger person grow in their faith and dependence on God. It’s in those moments I think I may have captured what Psalm 71 is about and what my greatest legacy might be. And that is living a life in a way that allows others to know and experience God.
Your time with God’s Word
Psalm 71:1-3, 5-6, 9, 17-18; Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ESV
Photo by Paolo Bendandi on Unsplash
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