Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
forsake me not when my strength is spent.
For my enemies speak concerning me;
those who watch for my life consult together
and say, “God has forsaken him;
pursue and seize him,
for there is none to deliver him.” Psalm 71.9-11
The psalmist has a concern, and he does what any right-thinking saint would do. He talks to his God about it. He has arrived at the time of his old age. He knows that he is no longer young. He no longer enjoys the strength and abilities of youth. He cannot deal with life as he once could. And his enemies know this. So, he appeals to his God, and uses striking language to do that. It's not that he thinks that his God would cast him off or forsake him. But he is aware of the danger that surrounds him. His enemies are near. And so, he cries out, and does that with intensity. 'Do not cast me off; … forsake me not; … those who watch for my life consult together'. The danger is real. His only hope is his God. And so he prays with intensity.
Our culture is filled with fearful people. And one of the things that they fear is old age. They know that the day will come when they will no longer be able to handle life as they did in the days of their youth. And there are enemies who plot against them. Their names: cancer, Alzheimer's, stroke, heart attack. These enemies didn't threatened them before - or so they assumed. But now, when old age has arrived, they are afraid. They cannot defeat these enemies. They look to idols to protect them, but they wonder if they will come through. They know that there is danger but they do not know what they can do for defeat it. So, they fear.
But this is not our situation. Oh, yes, old age approaches - if it has not already arrived. And we face those same enemies with their threatening names. But we do not need to be afraid. Our God is near. He will not forsake us. We will never be cast off. One day one of those enemies, or some other, will conquer our bodies. We will die. But that is not defeat. Not for us. It is rather one of the final stages of victory. We will fall asleep at the end of this life only to awaken seeing the face of Jesus. And then there is the resurrection of the body. It is not defeat but victory. All because of Jesus.
There is nothing to fear - whether we are in the days of our youth or approaching our last days. There is nothing to fear. Our God is near.