9 Do not cast me away when I am old;
do not forsake me when my strength is gone.
10 For my enemies speak against me;
those who wait to kill me conspire together.
11 They say, “God has forsaken him;
pursue him and seize him,
for no one will rescue him.”
12 Do not be far from me, my God;
come quickly, God, to help me.
13 May my accusers perish in shame;
may those who want to harm me
be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14 As for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds,
of your saving acts all day long—
though I know not how to relate them all.
16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord;
I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
17 Since my youth, God, you have taught me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
18 Even when I am old and gray,
do not forsake me, my God,
____________________
What struck me in this passage is the psalmist’s prayer that God would not cast him away or forsake him when he is old.
One of the sad features of our culture is that it does not value the elderly. Our culture idolizes youth, youthful beauty, along with economic productivity and utility. It’s always interesting to note how much economic value the culture assigns to certain activities. From that perspective, our culture puts the most value on those who entertain us and those who lead very large companies. These are the people our culture deems worthy of the largest economic rewards. At the other end of the scale are those who care for very small children, and – my point here – those who care for the elderly in assisted living centers and nursing homes and similar facilities. It doesn’t speak well of our culture that we assign such a small economic value to those who care for the most vulnerable among us.
The psalmist is concerned that when he is old and gray — no longer strong and fit to lead in battle – that he will be cast aside. And so he prays to his Refuge (see yesterdays’ devotion) not to forsake him.
We know the answer to this prayer. One of the beautiful features of the character of our God is that He favors the vulnerable, the oppressed, the downtrodden, the poor, the lonely, the forgotten. I could cite verse after verse in which God points out that His barometer of the righteousness of a people is how well they cared for the widows and orphans. One of the features of the early church is their care for the widows – but inside and outside the church – who would have no income with their husbands gone.
Our value before God is not a matter of our youthfulness, our beauty, our utility, our productivity, our economic output. Our value resides above all in the heart of our God who has created us in His image. From the unborn infant to the elderly with just a few days remaining on this planet – they are all beautiful images of our Creator and of infinite worth in His eyes. And so if we claim to follow Him, they are to be as beautiful in our own eyes as well.
So my prayer today is for the elderly. I’m thinking about and praying about those who are known to me – in my family and in our church. I’m praying especially for those whose days are hard and are struggling with loneliness and feelings of worthlessness. But I’m praying also for those who care for them, that they find joy and meaning in their work, catching a glimpse of what a holy thing they are doing in the sight of God.
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Lori A Gutierrez
Caring for seniors is one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever had. So much to still be learned from them and such a honor just to sit and listen to them and at times just hold their hands and pray for them when they are transitioning to what lies ahead. …watching the struggle to keep their independence and helping them learn to let go and accept help is a privilege….