Am I Old?

"Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come."

Psalm 71:18

I have enjoyed spotting small fawn this year! Following are some of the snaps I particularly like!

I've often thought about being old. In my 70s now, that was definitely considered old when I was young. But I keep picturing myself and my friends and don't picture us as old.

There are certainly signs of being old. Memory failing. Dropping things. Typing with more mistakes. Energy. Diet. Early bed time. Wearing colors together that I wouldn't have years ago. Aren't I suppose to be mature? Well, you know what I mean.

 That's why I enjoyed Warren Wiersbe's recent devotion titled: When I am Old. Psalm 71. He said: "The older I become, the more I appreciate this psalm. It focuses on God's special blessings for those who are getting older."

Areas this Psalm speaks about are weakness, confusion, living in the past and complaining. Regarding weakness Wiersbe wrote: "The outward man is failing, but the inward man can be renewed day by day. God will provide you with the spiritual strength that you need." And I know that spiritual strength will overcome any area that I feel weak in.

"We can't always keep up with so many rapid changes in this world. As we get older, we might say, 'I don't quite know what's going on.' But God says, 'Look, don't worry about it. You trust Me, and I'll never allow you to be confused.'" Yes, I've been confused and felt like I couldn't understand at times. But our God walks with us through all things and will always care for us.

"But David said, 'Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day.' When we're walking with the Lord, He takes care of weakness and confusion. He takes care of our fear of the future. He also substitutes praise for complaining, and therefore, we grow old graciously.," Wiersbe continued.

And have you said, "Back in the good old days . . . I've concluded that perhaps the good old days were not that good. David acknowledges, 'For You are my hope, O Lord God.' He was living in the future. We don't know what the future holds, but we do know that God holds our future." Keep my eyes moving forward and not backyard. Memories are fine. I love to recall good things in my past. But my eyes need to look forward as I continue to march through life.

"If we are resorting to the Lord continually in prayer, if we are rejoicing in Him continually in praise, if we are hoping in Him continually and laying hold of His promises, if we are saying that the best is yet to come and praise Him more and more, then we can grow old and 'gray headed' without fear We'll be able to glory the Lord, and we'll be able to share Him with others in the next generation."

Well, I would like to grow old graciously. I'm thankful that God stays with us through each phase of our life. I still can't picture my friends and I as being old, but I know things have changed and are changing every day because I constantly say to myself: "Why is this so hard!" So frustrating!

Yes, many consider me old now. I'm definitely slowing down. But as long as my focus is on God and I stay in His Word, it doesn't matter what changes in my physical and mental self occur. God will always help me. Why, He's just a whisper away. 

"Seasons change and I change, but my Lord is eternally the same, and the streams of His love are as deep and wide and full as ever.

Charles Spurgeon