“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” Psalm 71:17-18.

There’s an age-old debate about if it is better to have “grown up” within the church and come to belief naturally as a child who is surrounded and taught by a spiritual family who love the Lord, or if a better appreciation of the gospel and zeal to live it out comes with having discovered Christ later in life.

Both have advantages and disadvantages.

The former would know God’s love from a young age but may find that they were sheltered too much to face the world’s realities in their adult lives.

The latter may have a fervor for their newfound faith but may struggle against ingrained habits of sin.

With no superscription to give us a clue as to the context of this psalm, its 24 verses speak of the psalmist’s trust in God from a very young age. He asks that God not forsake him even when he is old as he has no earthly alternative in which to find his salvation and strength.

No matter your situation, God will always bring revival and comfort.