Psalm 6:2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;
    heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.

I think the older a person gets, the closer to home this verse be­comes! Different translations render this as “My bones are troubled” or, “My bones are fearful,” but advancing age certainly seems to bring structural issues to a majority of people. As someone has said, you get pains in places you didn’t know you had places! That actually is a blessing, because it frees you from the youthful illusion of invincibility. Even the healthiest, strongest person is actually totally dependent on their Creator, but they aren’t likely to realize it until they encounter health issues of one sort or another. Paul referred to our physical bodies as tents, and said that “While we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened.” (2 Corinthians 5:4) Most people over 50 can identify with that! However, the more we focus on our Lord, who is the true Source of everything we need, the more peace and joy we have regardless of our circumstances. That’s why Jesus famously told us to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33) The quicker we learn that we ourselves aren’t the be-all and end-all of everything, the better off we are.

I have been blessed with good health for most of my life, but my wife has had enough medical issues that I’ve seen medical professionals be taken aback by the list. Back surgeries and Parkinson’s Disease, a number of relatively minor issues, and to top it off (pun intended) brain surgery. At this point, I thought of her immediately when I read this verse, because she can have pain in areas that make her hesitant to do things necessary for her daily life. I used to have sympathy but not empathy, but recently I’ve been having issues with my right hip and the like. Doing some electrical work for a friend recently, I was reminded that the last time I did that I was in my 50s! However, I am grateful for the mobility I have, and seek to be faithful in maintaining the physical equipment with which I have been supplied. It is a comfort to know that we won’t be stuck in these bodies forever!

Father, thank You for Your grace, and for Your perfect plan. Thank You for the pains that remind us to be intentional in our dependence on You. Help us make the use that You intend of all that You supply, physically and financially and otherwise, so that Your purposes may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!