"Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come. " (NKJV)
I was struck by a couple of words he (assuming David wrote this) said. "...do not forsake me until... "; as if God would ultimately "forsake" him! Now, I haven't performed a formal exegesis on this passage of Scripture, but I would argue that the psalmist meant ....don't take me out of this world until I've had a chance to leave a holy mark on it! Lord, make whatever days I have left COUNT!! That's Steve-egesis। In Psalm 71, David recognized his good education and instruction in the Lord, as a young man. While he was still in the world he craved the opportunity to "live for Christ"! I wonder if it is irony that, in my personal study bible, this is just across the page from Paul's passage, in Philippians, where he states ..."for to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain!" (Philippians 1:21)
Both the psalmist and the Apostle Paul recognized something as they got older. I think it is something you and I recognize, or at least are beginning to recognize, as we, too, get older. Our lives are less about "us" and should be more about the legacy we'll leave. Now, I don't believe that the focus of our living should be wrapped around "leaving a legacy", for the sake of legacy. That might border on idolatry, itself. Nonetheless, you and I will leave a legacy of some. At this point, I am less concerned about my post-mortem reputation as I am concerned about what mark we, as little Christ', leave in our circle of influence in the world! I'm no Billy Graham ....and unless the Lord truly performs a miracle, I probably never will be. I'm ok with that. There are, at the very least, 4 people whom I have immediate influence ...and maybe countless others that I may not even mean to.
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