Aging with Joy

Psalm 71:23:

"My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed."

As we grow older, stuff happens: we develop more aches, pains and illnesses and our mobility may not be as good as it once was. We can look back on our younger years when we seemed to breeze through activities with ease and without discomfort or pain, and long for those days of our youth again. Sometimes, as we age, we can feel less useful, and for some it can feel like their life has lost meaning and purpose.

If any of this sounds familiar, read on!

Psalm 71 is the song of an aging man (probably David) who cries out in the midst of persecution. He looked to God for help, encouragement and strength. But, even though he is suffering, he trusts that the LORD will protect him because he knows that God has been faithful in the past. Even in the midst of persecution, the Psalmist cannot help but praise God in joy for what He has done to save him.

Who do you look to for help as you get older?

The Psalmist knows he needs God even more as he gets older:

"Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength has gone." (verse 9)

In verse 20, the Psalmist admits that he has been through "many troubles" but God promises to be with us each step of life's journey, He is trustworthy and faithful. Sometimes He allows us to go through trials and tribulations to show us He is there, and to look to Him to help us through them. It is good to bring all our thoughts, worries and cares to God in prayer.

After admitting his troubles the Psalmist goes on to say:

"You will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honour and comfort me once more." (verses 20-21)

This is why the psalm ends with praise, he is thankful for how God has redeemed him and cared for him all his life through, so He ends the psalm by saying:

"My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you."

The Bible tells us "Always to be joyful." (1 Thessalonians 5:16)

Here is where you may be thinking:

"How can I be joyful when I have so much pain, discomfort, stress, grief, anxiety in my life?"

Because we think of joy as being happiness or pleasure, but the biblical meaning of joy comes from trusting in Jesus who has redeemed us; trusting in our Saviour who has rescued us from eternal separation from God. Aging in Christ will not remove our pain or sorrows, but it will add to the joys.

Our joy is found in Jesus!

Happiness is never constant, because the pleasures in this world are constantly changing and they will never satisfy us. But we can be confident that Jesus never changes! He is the one who truly satisfies us when we place our hope in Him.

Without Him, there is no joy, but with Him we are made righteous and therefore have the joy of righteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:21:

"God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."

Jesus' desire for us is that we are made complete in Him and have His joy.

The joy of the LORD is a powerful thing because it shows the rest of the world we have something that cannot be tarnished by circumstances.

Our joy is consistent, because Jesus is consistent.

We can have joy in the midst of despair and difficulties, because we know God is in control. As we get to know Him even more through reading Scripture and through prayer; we can be confident in the fact that He never changes and He is with us, even if we may not feel it in the moment.

The very fact that Jesus gave His life for us is a cause of joy that will never end!

He loves us and will remain faithful to us all our lives if we trust in Him.

Isn't that a reason for such joy!

God bless