The
MESSAGE for November 26, 2023
When
Life becomes an Obstacle Course
Psalm 71
Live Broadcast
By: Pastor, Rev. Dr.
Cullian W. Hill
Greater Concord Missionary Baptist Church
I need today to talk to this nation, and
especially to Greater Concord Missionary Baptist Church. Most of
you now are forty-two years older than when we started. Growing
old can be frightening to say the least.
This Psalm is about growing old! It suits all
those who growing older in Christ, find themselves as much beset
by difficulties and trials in life’s later years as they were
when they possessed the full strength of youth. This Psalm is
complex in structure. It deals with trials, trouble, trust, and
the testimony of a senior person. This senior finds himself
approaching the last lap of the journey.
He has spent his strength-spent it, indeed, in
the service of God. But, with strength waning away he found the
path before him suddenly becoming steep. The course had become
an obstacle course. So, he talks to God about strength to finish
life well. “In thee, O’ Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be
put to confusion, deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me
to escape, incline thine ear unto to me, and save me.” This old
man rests everything on the character of God and on the
compassion of God. God constitutionally is incapable of letting
anyone down.
When a person invests their faith and trust in
the living God, he or she will find that, when all else fails,
God is still in business and still mighty to save. When you put
your confidence in God, you can tell Him, “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.”
Senior people need to feel secure. So often,
their natural defenses against life’s injuries are gone. They
are retired from their employment; their health is failing, old
friends are dying, their minds are not as sharp as they were,
their income is greatly reduced, often they feel defenseless and
vulnerable. You need God! When you are in your senior life you
need to know that God is faithful. In this person's old age, he
knew he could go to God with his trials. He says to God;
“Deliver me, O’ my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of
the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man,” He took his case to
God. God the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. When you get
up in age, your mind wanders back into the past. To your
childhood, teenagers, a young man, or woman, at school times and
adulthood, the world of raising a family and engaging in the
struggles of life, but he had invested in God.
Now he has gotten old. Some people look back with
sourness; “youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle, old age a
regret.” But not this senior! His foundation had been well laid;
“Thou art my trust from my youth.” This person goes back even
further, back to his birth. He had proven God’s tenderness in
his birth; “By thee have I been holden up from the womb: Thou
art He that took me out of my mother’s bowels”. Here was
circumstance over which he had no control. Here was weakness
beyond his ability. Here was vulnerability beyond that of youth.
This senior sent his mind back from one extremity of life to the
other. God was good to him. Even in the circumstances he had no
control over, he knew that God was too Wise to make a mistake,
too Loving to be unkind, and too Powerful to be thwarted.
The troubles of the Godly in old age. “I am a
wonder unto many; “But Thou art my strong refuge.” This senior
was up against it and all eyes were on him to see what he would
do. His eyes were on God. He told God to not, “Cast me not off
in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.”
Many seniors feel no longer wanted, they feel
useless and a burden to others. But God has a liking to senior
people. This senior individually had many enemies. He said, “for
mine enemies speak against me; and they lay wait for my soul
take counsel together, saying, God hath forsaken him; persecute
and take him; for there is none to deliver him.’ His enemies
were like a pack of wolves. The younger wolves now want to take
over. They eye the position with jealousy and covet the place,
but they fear its fangs, its craftiness in battle, its ability
to bring down even the strongest prey. However, the old sage is
getting old and a vigorous new rival is fast emerging. The
inevitable showdown comes, and a fierce fight to the finish for
the leadership of the pack takes place as the Senior Wolves
gather around.
Presently, the strength of the younger triumphs
over the senior. The younger wolf cripples its foe; the senior
wolf can only fight on three legs. The eager pack closes in,
jaws open, tongues lolling, saliva dripping, eyes riveted on the
struggles of the senior wolf. The moment he is thrown off his
feet they will finish him off. But O’ listen to the old Saint!
“O’ God, be not far from me; O’ my God, make haste for my help.
Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my
soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonor that seek
my hurt.”
But this old saint was filled with happiness and
joy in his old age. Not many can say that! This Psalmist sets
before us life’s liabilities and limitations. I will go in the
strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of Thy
righteousness, even of thine only.” That was the source, the
secret of his strength. Here was a senior needing a stick, to
help him down the street drawing strength from the limitless
resources of God. Thus, we have this God old senior persons
trials and troubles and trust. His testimony is from my youth
up, my life was in the hand of God. O’ Praise His Holy Name!
When we get old, we get tired, the natural
tendency is to resign from everything, to seek relaxation and
rest. But this Godly old saint wanted to keep at heart. Who is
like unto thee? There’s
Heaven up ahead. There’s going to be a glorious
resurrection! There’s going to be another life. It’s not going
to be non-existable.