fast falls the eventide

Mediations on old age from Psalm 71 and other Scriptures

One

God’s Help in Old Age

“Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent.” 

(Psalm 71:9).

Introduction

I have had the privilege of spending the greater part of my working life (34 years) in pastoral ministry with three local churches. Looking back I realise that this enabled me to spend quality time in the company of elderly people. I grew to deeply admire the resilience displayed by many in the face of considerable challenges. Drawing on the inspiration received from them I would like to develop a short series of blogs which reflect on this season of human experience from a Christian perspective. However, I trust the reflections are applicable to people of any age. 

The lyrics and tune to the hymn ‘Abide with Me’ combine to provide us with one of the most poignant and beautiful hymns in the English language. 

Poignant because it describes the brevity of life in a society that does its upmost to suppress and disguise the fleeting quality of our existence. 

And beautiful because it holds out the enduring hope that faith in Jesus Christ imparts to those who trust him.

Take some time to reflect on the timeless quality of its words:

Abide with me, fast falls the eventide

The darkness deepens Lord, with me abide

When other helpers fail and comforts flee

Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day

Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away

Change and decay in all around I see

O Thou who changest not, abide with me

I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless

Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness

Where is death's sting?

Where, grave, thy victory?

I triumph still, if Thou abide with me

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes

Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies

Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee

In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me

What strikes you most about these lyrics?

For me the phrase in the first line stands out with a bold realism - “fast falls the eventide”. How many times have you heard someone say, “Where did the years go?” The gift of life is incredibly fragile and transient. I am now in my early sixties and often recall events in my youth as if they happened yesterday! 

I have also faced some health challenges over the recent past which have made me appreciate more than ever what many elderly people already live out. The importance of “living one day at a time”.

Psalm 71 is a wonderful starting point for our contemplations because in it the psalmist meditates on God’s help in old age.

For many people growing old is an unavoidable fact of life, often linked with inevitable fears. The psalmist writes as an old man (v. 9, 18) and addressees some of those concerns. In speaking to God he says, “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent” (verse 9). In spite of these problems, he is filled with praise to the Lord. “My praise is continually of you” (verse 6 se also verses 8,14 and 22).

From Psalm 71 I would like to draw out two main thoughts. Firstly, the psalm highlights…

➡️ An Elderly Person’s Perspective on Life

As the psalmist surveyed his earthly experience he recognised the faithfulness of God (verse 22). Over his long life enemies and hard times have surrounded him. On occasions people have whispered in his ear that God has left him. In these moments he took a backward look and recognised the reliability of God’s care since his birth (verses 5-6). And as a result, he stayed confident and looked upon God as a secure rock and safe fortress. He even broke out in song, “I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God” (Verse 22).

The psalmist longed to impart this experience of the faithfulness of God to the rising generations. “There is no doubt in his mind that God’s great acts in the past are meant to benefit the people of the future” (Michael Wilcox). His goal was to use his remaining time to teach younger people and future generations about God's power, justice, and goodness.

It is surely part of God’s gracious provision to his people that we can draw on such a perspective from those who have a long view of life to help us in our walk with God.

And secondly, Psalm 71 contains…

➡️ An Elderly Person’s Prayer to God 

The entire psalm is a prayer to God. In it the psalmist acknowledged his vulnerability (verse 9). However, he also looked to God to give him stability in life (verse 3). He affirmed his trust in the Lord and in doing so discovered that his ultimate security in life rests solely in him. Take time to ponder all he says about the Lord:

“You are my rock and refuge” (v.3)

“You, O Lord, are my hope” (v.5)

“You have been my strength and protection” (v.7)

“You have done such wonderful things. Who can compare with you, O God?” (v.19)

“You are faithful to your promises, O my God” (v.22)

“(The Psalmist) can look back over many years of experience of the great deeds of an incomparable God” (Michael Wilcox).

Conclusion

If you are younger in years then it will benefit you greatly to spend time in the orbit of an elderly man or woman of God who has proved the faithfulness of God in life. Find such a person!

And if you find yourself in the twilight years, allow Psalm 71 to encourage and strengthen your faith.

The Heidelberg Catechism of the 17th century begins with this question and answer…

“What is your only comfort in life and in death?

That I am not my own, but belong - body and soul, in life and in death - to my faithful Saviour, Jesus Christ.” 

I belong to “my faithful Saviour, Jesus Christ.” Amen

(Picture - The Summer Isles from Rhue lighthouse)

The following is an outline of what we will focus on in the coming months (the first Monday of each month)…

Two

Life’s Little Day

Walking the path of life

“Abide with us, for evening approaches, and the day is almost over”.

(Luke 24:29)

Three

Live From the Inside Out

Handling the limitations of age

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”.

(2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Four

Handing On The Torch

Investing in the rising generations 

“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others”.

(2 Timothy 2:1-2)

Five

Strength for Today…

Dealing with infirmity and suffering 

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

(2 Corinthians 12:9)

Six

…Bright Hope for Tomorrow 

Contemplating our eternal home  

“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

(2 Corinthians 5:1)

Seven

Finishing Well

Anticipating the end (of the beginning)

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing”.

(2 Timothy 4:7-8)

the song of the shepherd (6)

 We come to the end of our reflections on the Song of the Shepherd today as we focus on the final verse of Psalm 23. 

There is a remarkable little sentence tucked into the book of 1 Samuel that offers tremendous insights into David’s faith in the Lord. Pursued by his enemies and forsaken by his friends, we read that David “encouraged himself in the Lord” (1 Samuel 30:6). He called to remembrance dependable truths about God that sustained him in the difficult moments of life. Perhaps the encouragement that David discovered in those moments of crisis is embedded in the psalm that has occupied our attention over the last 5 weeks.

We have reflected on the words of the shepherd boy who became Israel’s king. It’s clear that David had learned to trust God through the ups and downs of life. He writes about the Lord as a Caring Shepherd - a Shepherd who provided rest and nourishment; who guided him in the right paths and who was with him in the dark moments of life.

In the second half of the psalm, David portrays the Lord as a Gracious Host. David lived in fellowship with the Lord, enjoying the rich banquet that God had provided for him.

All of that brings us to the conclusion of this ancient and precious psalm. David ends by saying, 

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

“Goodness and mercy” were words associated with God’s covenant to Israel. However, what David does here is to personify them. David recognises that these twin guardians will always be at his back - “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” These qualities are not only solid and dependable - they are also energetic - because the word follow here does not mean to simply bring up the rear but to pursue all the days of my life…the black days as well as well as the bright days, the dreary days of winter as well as the bright days of summer. 

God’s goodness and mercy are new to us everyday. Our assurance as Christians is lodged in these aspects of God’s character. Our trust is in his love for us as his children. Our faith has as its basis an unshakable reliance in his ability to do the right thing in any given situation. 

David concludes this precious psalm by saying, “…and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” The apostle Paul brings a new covenant emphasis to these words when he says, “Neither death, nor life…will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

In Campbeltown there’s a square off the Main Street called Burnside Square. I remember walking round that square one afternoon and noticing a large bush that was beginning to shed its leaves. What this revealed was a small evergreen tree growing up at its centre. I thought then and believe now that this is an apt illustration of the Christian life. Autumn and winter will come to us all. We are like “the new grass of the morning - though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered.” (Psalm 90:5-6). However, there is within us the equivalent of the evergreen - everlasting life and the assurance of our eternal home. God has set eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

To him be the glory!

(picture - Looking to Arran from Troon)

the song of the shepherd (5)

 I’ve lived most of my life in rural communities within Ayrshire, Argyll and East Renfrewshire. However, for a three year period we lived and worked in the city of Nottingham with its typical urban landscape. After several months of living there I recall heading out of the city with our family for a day trip into the country. I was struck by the once familiar sights and sounds. What I most remember was looking out on flocks of sheep with their lambs in the surrounding fields and thinking how long it had been since I had witnessed this idyllic scene. 

Over the last four weeks we have focused on the pastoral landscape of Psalm 23, briefly reflecting on the provision, rest, guidance and protection of our Good Shepherd. 

Today we leave the world of the Shepherd and his sheep to focus on the word picture of the Lord as Host and we his guests. David says,

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (verse 5). 

In the world in which Psalm 23 was set, to eat and drink at someone’s table created a strong bond of friendship. It could also be the final act in a covenant agreement between two people. That was certainly the case in Exodus 24 with the elders of Israel. Moses prepared an altar, read the book of the covenant and the people pledged their allegiance to God. And then in verse 11 we read that the elders of Israel, “saw God, and they ate and drank.” The Gospel writers capture that same truth when they record Jesus announcing at the Last Supper, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood…” (Matthew 26:28).

The imagery of the Lord as the Gracious Host to his people is an integral part of the whole biblical panorama, from the symbolism of Joseph as the provider of food (Genesis 43:34) to the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 and the parables the great banquet and the marriage feast of the Bridegroom in the book of Revelation (see Luke 14:15-24; Matthew 22:1-14; Revelation 19:9).

Returning to David’s words in Psalm 23 we find there a picture of calm assurance under pressure. Nothing is hurried, there’s no confusion, no disturbance, the enemy is at the door and yet the Lord prepares a table, and the believer sits down as if everything was peaceful. In many ways it points to the great and famous verses in Romans 8:31-39, that concludes, “nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

David and Paul remind us this week that we have infinite resources in Christ for even the worst of situations. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (Psalm 23:5).

(picture - near Lochinver)

the song of the shepherd (4)

 

A good number of years ago I climbed Ben Vrackie that sits behind the town of Pitlochry. From the vantage point of the summit I watched a massive bank of rain sweep down the valley. It wasn’t long before a bright and sunny day became rather dark and overcast. I must also say that I experienced a good drenching as a result!

As we come once again to the cherished Psalm 23 let’s remind ourselves of the path that we have travelled so far. In verse two David places emphasis on the rest that the Lord our Shepherd provides for us at the right time.

The terrain changes somewhat in verse three as the thought of our Shepherd’s guidance comes to the fore.

Today we enter a stretch of our journey through life that few of us wish to travel. However, David’s desire for us is that we see, among other things, the protection that Lord gives to his people.

We are no longer enjoying the rich, green pastures or the quiet waters. We now find ourselves in the dark valley. 

Depending on which translation of the Scriptures you use will determine how you look on the verse.

Some translations say,

“Even thought I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…” (ESV). Quite clearly the thought is of a Christian looking out onto eternity. Here is a Christian passing from earth, the land of the dying, to heaven, the land of the living.

Others will say something like:

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley…” (NLT)

To translate the verse in this way widens the sentiment to include other crises in life apart from the final one.

Whatever way you look it doesn’t detract from the strength of David’s words or the wealth of meaning we find in this sentence. 

David says he walks through this dark valley. It’s almost as if he doesn’t quicken his pace but choses to walk with God. To walk as David did means the steady advance of someone who knows the road, knows its end, resolves to follow the path and feels secure.

There is realism in David’s words. We don’t always experience life as a warm summer’s day, enjoying rich, verdant pastures while resting beside quiet waters. The path of life does on occasions lead us through a dark valley with menacing clouds above us. And yet in these moments Israel’s king is able to rely on key truths about God that believers in every generation have given testimony to. He relies on:

➡️ God’s Presence

“I will fear no evil, for you are with me…”

In the dark valley the Lord is no longer ahead of us to lead us (as in verse 3) but along side us to guard and defend us.

➡️ God’s Protection

“…your rod and your staff…

The rod and staff are the means by which God governs and rules over our lives. C.H. Spurgeon called them “the ensigns of his sovereignty and of his gracious care.”

The rod was probably a kind of club used in defence to drive away wild animals. It was an instrument of authority. The staff was likely an instrument of support. The rod and staff underline the strength and care of our Shepherd even in the dark moments of life.

➡️ God’s Peace 

“…they comfort me.”

Unlike my day on Ben Vrackie, we don’t see ahead of time the steady advance of the storms of life. They hit us when we least expect and often leave us reeling in their wake. That’s why the truths found in Hebrews 13 are so precious in our journey through the dark valley:

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

(Hebrews 13:20-21) 

(picture - Rhue lighthouse)