Old Age and Gray Hairs – Psalm 71:17-21

O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.  So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.  Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens.  You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?  You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.  You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.  (Psalm 71:17-21 ESV)

 

One great responsibility of every believer is to share what he or she has learned of God and His greatness with the next generation.  Though each individual needs to experience the many troubles God brings into their lives and in that experience learn to trust God, the previous generation can help them with testimony of how God taught them.  We comfort others with the comfort we received from God (2 Corinthians 1).  We especially pass down how we have faith in God’s provision and goodness in reviving and comforting us.