Seize the Moment – Day 804
Train the Next Generation!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, May 30. Have a good Memorial Day. Remember, freedom is never free!
One of my hobbies is training for and competing in USA Track & Field Masters competitions. Even with a few national championships under my belt, I will be the first to tell you that as I get older, I am not able to throw the 16-pound Olympic hammer as far as when I was younger. This is one of the reasons why being a coach makes sense at this point in my life. It’s time to pass on the knowledge gained from my former successes to aid the next generation to be even more successful.
There is a reality to getting older that requires one generation to entrust to the next generation their skills and responsibilities. We must pass it on! As David matured in his kingship, we witness a critical turn of events happen in 2 Samuel 21:15-17:
Now when the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David went down and his servants with him; and as they fought against the Philistines, David became weary. Then Ishbi-benob, who was among the descendants of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of bronze in weight, was girded with a new sword, and he intended to kill David. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “You shall not go out again with us to battle, so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel.”
At one time David was the only one in Israel who had the courage to face the giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17). That was no longer true, and praise God it wasn’t, because if David hadn’t trained the next generation to defeat the giants, he may not have survived that day of battle.
Seize the moment and train the next generation to face their giants (Psalm 78:6).