Photo courtesy of ChristianPhotos.net
I currently have several friends who have stopped treatment for serious illness and are now facing one of two truths: they will either experience a miraculous healing from God, or if not, they’ll soon face Him in eternity.
That–and the fact that I’m 62 and my dad died at 63–has caused me to think about my legacy. After all, whether I die next week, next year, or within the next 40 years, at some point it’s assured that I will die and leave this earth.
Please know I’m not being morbid at all. As one who loves the Lord and knows what eternity holds for me, I can actually look forward to being with Him. But I’m simply wondering what I’ll leave when I leave…and I’m not talking about stuff.
I ran across this verse today and I hope it is an encouragement to you as it was to me as we look toward our exit from this world. It’s taken from a speech by Paul in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch, a long retelling of Israel’s history and testimony of Jesus the Messiah. But this short verse is the passage that caught my attention today:
“Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.” Acts 13:36 (NIV)
For clarification, here Paul was pointing out that even though David–whom the Jews honored and revered–eventually died and decayed, God raised Jesus, overcoming death and decay to be the Messiah. But that’s not the part that struck me.
What struck me was the phrase, “…when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep….” When David had served his purpose, when he had done all God had for him to do on earth during his lifetime, he fell asleep.
David may have failed at times, he may have defied God, gone his own way, struggled with sin, but he still accomplished all God had for him to accomplish in his lifetime. Wow.
Oh, that I would do that! Oh, that I would complete all He has for me to do in my generation before I leave…that I’ll do everything I was supposed to do before my time is up.
That is my prayer…and I pray it’s yours as well.
I pray God’s blessing on the work of your hands and your heart,
Vonda
PS: Please don’t post comments about any good you think I may have done. That’s not my goal. My goal is to help us all search our hearts and focus on why we’re here, what He’s called us to do. Thank you.
(Photo courtesy of ChristianPhotos.net)
