Heroes of the Bible: Remaining Faithful Through Your Later Years Sýnishorn

Today’s Hero of the Bible: David

The time had come for David to step down. He had served Israel as king for 40 years, but age and frailty meant it was time to hand over the reins. So he appointed Solomon to replace him. But he still had one great task to finish.

David had one great ambition in his life: he wanted to build the temple for the honor of the Lord. But God had prevented him from fulfilling his hope and had said that Solomon, his offspring, would build it. So David devoted his last days to finalizing the plans for the building and organizing the way worship should be carried out when it was built.

It takes wisdom and courage to know when it is time to stop and let someone else do the job. We can find it hard to accept the effects of age. We can think we are still doing things well and therefore refuse to hand over leadership. It may be that such a decision is difficult because we love what we are doing and we still want to serve. On the other hand, it can be pride. That is where honesty, courage, and wisdom are needed.

It is doubtful that any of us will have such a grand project for our last days, but the principle applies to us. David was concerned about God's honor. So in his final days, he looked forward and focused on the one thing he could do. What a great attitude to cultivate.

“When you cannot do what you would, do what you can.”
Philip Henry