These are the words of an experienced man, a man who had known both blessings and hardship in his life. He had walked a road that took him to the highest of heights and into the deepest of valleys. And, at the time he wrote these words, King David still maintained that the Lord is faithful and worthy of our allegiance.
Men and women who have walked for much of their lives on the narrow path that leads to life have much to offer those who are just starting out. Nothing can substitute for faithfulness to the Lord over decades of life in a world that is fallen and full of trouble. The temptation of the young, however, is to listen only to their own voices and dismiss older ones as “out of touch” or “unenlightened.”
Yet, those of us who are older now were young once and can identify with this hardness of heart towards the wisdom of our elders. Most of us, too, thought they didn’t understand the realities of our lives and how much life had changed since they were young. But as we became older, so did many of the things our elders told us become wiser. Their counsel didn’t change; we did. We gained life experience. We tried things our way and often failed, or lived to regret what we did.
This is why this Psalm resonates with me. David, as a man of faith and who has lived a long life, is imparting his wisdom to his people, wisdom gained from both victory and defeat. His life was far from easy and far from perfect; yet as he neared the end of his earthly life, he declared God to be faithful no matter what we experience in life and the wisdom of obeying Him even when the world around us is openly rejecting Him and His ways.
There are two things each of us need in our lives. First, we need to have the deepest respect for the Scriptures, which help keep us on the path that leads to life (II Timothy 3:16-17). They are the words of God and are above time and culture. Second, we need older mentors in our lives to help guide and encourage us in the ways of the Lord. Like David, they have the life experience and know of the Lord’s faithfulness in the midst of hard times, as well as the many dangers that lurk, which can lead us away from Him.
Today, if you are young, don’t assume you know everything and have life figured out. Dig into the Word for wisdom and guidance and seek out older people whom you see have remained faithful to the Lord. Ask for their counsel; listen to them tell of their experiences living for the Lord. And if you are older, seek out younger people in whom you, like David, can invest your experience and wisdom in order to help them grow to be faithful followers of the Lord. As one who is now older, I can tell you this is the way we gain wisdom and maintain our faithfulness for a lifetime.
© Jim Musser 2016
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