Carried all the way home!

Various authors

(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

Psalm 71:18, "Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God!"
There is a sacred beauty in the twilight years of a Christian's life. Though the body may weaken and the outward man decay, the inward man is being renewed day by day. Old age is not the closing chapter of usefulness or joy--but rather, the crowning season of God's faithfulness on full display.

The advancing years bring with them many changes. Strength wanes. Memory fades. Loved ones depart. The once-busy hands may tremble, and the once-swift feet may falter. But one thing remains gloriously unchanged: the faithful, sustaining presence of our Savior-God!

"I made you," He says. That means you are not here by accident. You were crafted by His hand, loved from eternity, and adopted into His family by grace. And now, in your latter years, you are not left to walk alone. He will carry you--not just support you or walk beside you--but carry you, with the tenderness of a Father and the strength of a mighty Savior.

The psalmist's plea in Psalm 71 arises not from doubt but from dependence. He knows that the God who sustained him in youth, is the same God he needs in old age. He does not ask for ease, nor for the restoration of youthful vigor--but for the nearness of God: "Do not forsake me, O God!" That cry is not in vain, For your redeemer-God answers with a tender, personal assurance:

"Even when you are old, I will take care of you,
 even when you have gray hair, I will carry you.
 I made you and I will support you;
 I will carry you and rescue you." Isaiah 46:4

What a mercy this is! Our God is not like man, who grows weary and forgetful. He never ages, never weakens, never withdraws His care. He is the Maker of His people--and He is also their Savior and eternal Keeper. The same sovereign hand that knit us together in our mother's womb, that led us through childhood and guarded us through decades of trials and joys--will not forsake us in our declining years. He will carry us still.

There is nothing left to fear. The Lord who sustained you yesterday--will sustain you today, and tomorrow, and all the way to glory! He has carried many across Jordan's chilly waters, and He will carry you too. Not one whom He has redeemed will be left behind.

For the older Christian, there is deep comfort here. Your usefulness to men may seem diminished, but your value to God is not. You are still His redeemed and beloved child. Your prayers are precious. Your example is powerful. Your life, seasoned with years of His faithfulness, is a testimony to His sustaining grace.

And when the final hour draws near--when flesh and heart fail--you can rest in the unfailing arms of Him who says, "I will rescue you!" Whether in life or in death, His grip on you is stronger than your grip on Him. He will surely carry and rescue you!

Rest, then, dear believer. Though your hair may be gray and your steps uncertain--your Shepherd is the same. He who began the good work will finish it. He who carries you now, will carry you all the way Home!