Psalm 71:1,3 “In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. . . . Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort. . . .”
Which is more important: a good start or a good finish? Well, is it preferable for a man to start living for God later in life rather than fizzle out when he is forty? Truthfully, one does not demand the absence of the other-they are not mutually exclusive. It is like asking a runner if good legs or good lungs are more valuable. Both are important!
This psalm reminds us that we are to serve and trust God our lives through. Verse 5 says, “Thou art my trust from my youth,” and verse 9 says, “Cast me not off in the time of old age.” Both are important! As verse 1 says, “Let me never be put to confusion.” The word never does not allow for an ever! There is never a time that we are not to trust God.
A good finish in life has the best chance from a good start in life. Recently, my family was in Leadville, Colorado, visiting a church on Sunday morning. Amazingly, at an elevation of 9,000 feet above sea level, the town hosts the infamous Leadville 100. The course begins and ends in Leadville, and the entire race is run at elevations where the air is thin and the pace requires vigorous running. A man does not win the Leadville 100 by merely starting well; conversely, finishing well doesn’t help you when you are already way behind! A runner needs both a good start and a good finish; and in our Christian lives, we need to both start and finish well.
Have you ever considered that when we are the youngest and the oldest, we are the weakest? For many of us, right now is the prime time. You probably have more wisdom now than you did at fifteen and more strength than you will at ninety-five! The danger is that in our strength of life, we forget to resort to God, who is our “strong habitation.”
One generation is dependent on the next–they are inter-connected (verse 18). Take my son, Wilson, for instance. He has a great family heritage filled with preachers, including his dad, his great-uncles, and even his great-great grandfather; but none of that impresses him a whole lot! Just like a chain, there is only one link that connects the chain to the next link. You may be the first Christian in your home, or you may come from a long line of Christian servants, but the weight of “now” rests on your head.
Is a good start or a good finish more important? Well, I suppose that depends on where you are. If you are just starting out (in age, parenting, etc.), you’d better be thinking about the long haul and looking down the road! If you have had a good start, why in the world ruin that by not finishing well? A good start and a good finish are not mutually exclusive. Someone has said that every day is a new life to a wise man. While I thank God for His goodness yesterday, I need Him today-and so do you.