Are you preparing to work for the rest of your life? 1 Chronicles 21-24

1 Chronicles 22:5

David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord shall be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all lands. Therefore now I will make preparation for it.” So David made ample preparations before his death.

David had a desire in his heart to build a temple for God.   God had told him that he would NOT be allowed to build the temple because of his past life style and sins against God.  That is God's prerogative ... to tell us what we can do and what we can't do.  Yet, in the midst of this answer of "no" David did see that he still had a responsibility to serve God and to glorify and honor Him in his life.   To that end, since he was not allowed to build the temple (being told by God his son would be allowed to do so), David began to make preparation for the build.    David was done working and could have just taken a trip to a warmer climate and played golf.   He could have accumulated material for his safety and future security.   But, instead, David began to stock pile resources.   David was not stock piling riches for himself in his future retirement.  David was serving God to the end.  In our old age it is so, so easy to relax and not want to serve anymore.  The younger generation is so eager to take over.  They think most of the older generation messed up things pretty poorly and can't want to make the changes.  The senior generation is far to often eager to allow them to do so.   Yet, think of Caleb, the oldest among the nation of Israel when they finally reached the promise land.   He simply wanted more territory to claim and the toughest territory, at that (see Joshua 14 and 15).   If we live for ourselves and in our strength we can easily fall into the western society mindset of retirement and accumulation of wealth.  If, however, like David and Caleb, we trust God with all our heart, soul and might, we can still make an impact in our later lives.    As long as we can breath we can be preparing for God and for His work and His glory.     

I write this one week before my sixtieth birthday and publish on my birthday.   May I honor God for the final years of my life in this way.