Growing Old And Dangerous For God

3 MIN READ ◦ DOUG GILES

In Psalm seventy-one David’s under duress and he’s old now. It doesn’t say what David did but he’s still ticking off all the right people and he’s a senior citizen.

The psalmist says he’s under the threat of humiliation and disgrace. His enemies have cornered him. Sinful people, unjust and cruel, were after him. His enemies are voicing evil against him. Can you feel this?

His adversaries are plotting his demise in secret.

Here’s an interesting little ditty they probably never told you at youth group. A ton of David’s opposition came from the supposed “people of God” and not just the Philistines. Anyhoo… I digress.

David’s enemies are walking around yapping that God’s abandoned David and it’s time to seize him because no one will come to his rescue.

David has seen hard times … many miserable days … and now he says he’s found himself in a pit. I don’t know if this is a literal pit or a metaphorical pit but whatever it is…it sucks.

So, how would you respond if you were David? Shoot heroin? Drink a big bottle of vodka? Mainline PeptoBismol? Renounce your faith, become a raging atheist, and join a Marilyn Manson cover band?

David didn’t say, “I quit.”

Oh. Heck. No.

Here’s what David did when getting jackhammered by various enemies when he was old and gray. I’ve paraphrased these passages and personalized them for you to proclaim when all of hell comes against you because you’re still a threat to the enemy. Are you ready? You are? Well, let’s roll.

Remember to belt these bad boys out loud.

LORD I DECLARE, in the mighty name of Jesus, you are my shelter and you’ll protect me from all humiliation and disgrace.

When the enemy comes against me you’ll turn your ear to me and rescue me, save me, and deliver me from all my enemies.

I declare, in the mighty name of Jesus, that you are my Rock, my Fortress, my Solid Ground, and that you keep me safe.

When evil men and devils assail me, O God, you will deliver me from the power of sinful, unjust, and cruel men.

You are my hope, O Lord. I have trusted you since I was young. I will sing your praises and proclaim your power all day long.

Thank you, Lord, for not setting me aside now when I am old and when my dumb enemies think that you have dumped me and that I am worn out, and of no use.

Lord God, cover these devils with shame. Pulverize them with contempt and disgrace.

If the enemy wants me to shut up and despair I will do the opposite by keeping hope alive and increasing my praise and worship of you ten-fold.

Yes, Lord … if they want to shut me up I will increase my telling of your merciful acts. I will tell everyone about how you deliver through your great power and how holy and just you are.

Holy Spirit, where the enemy has tried to shut me down, I ask you as my hair turns gray, that you not only not abandon me, but give me a fresh vision and mission to talk about your power and strength to the next generation.

Father, I proclaim, that even though I’ve seen hard times and I’ve experienced some truly horrible days, you will restore me again and raise me up from the pit. Not only that, but you will greatly increase my status and comfort me much to the chagrin of devils and evil men.

I thank you for your faithfulness. I will shout for joy because of you. I will sing your praises and will celebrate your powerful saving grace. All day long I will proclaim how you hammered those who plotted to bring me harm and now they’re the ones who are ashamed and humiliated, in Jesus’s name, amen!

Share this proclamation with your feisty granddad or grandmother.

The preceding was from Giles’ new bestseller, I Talk Back to the Devil.

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