Finish Strong

I’m pretty sure that I’ve passed the halfway point of my life. My math is not that great, but I’m confident that I passed that point a while ago. I was reminded this morning that there is a difference in how you start and how you finish. I’m talking specifically about life – everyone starts and everyone finishes, but there’s a lot of life between the beginning and the end.

I was reading the linage of David this am. I guess I’m glad that this comes after reading about all of the kings and seeing a snapshot of their time as king. David had a successor on the throne of Judah all the way into the exile period. I was reminded of what a strong king David was only to see if start falling off one generation after him. David had a bunch of kids. The wisest man who ever lived was one of them. Solomon was David’s successor as king. Check this out…

10 Solomon’s son was Rehoboam,

Abijah his son,

Asa his son,

Jehoshaphat his son, (1 Chronicles 3:10 NIV)

I went back to see when the Northern Kingdom of Israel split from Judah. It was David’s grandson Rehoboam’s reign when it happened. It started under Solomon though. Solomon is known for his wisdom and riches. He started really strong as the successor of David. However, Solomon was heavily influenced by other cultures and he turned away from the Lord late in his life. He ended up doing evil in God’s eyes. Check this out…

6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done. (1 Kings 11:6 NIV)

As I reflect on where I’m at in life, I really desire to finish strong. I’d want the Lord to know my heart completely and I want my heart completely devoted to Him as I finish up my life here on earth. I don’t want my success to trip me up in the least. I want to honor God with any success I have. I want to trust Him more. I want to see His Wisdom more even as I get wiser. I really hate that Solomon ended his life at odds with God who had so blessed him in so many ways.

I’m also praying for my kids – I’m thankful that they all know the Lord. I want them to know Him and follow Him all of their days as well. In life as in so many areas, it’s not just how you start that counts – it’s how you finish. I was reminded of a saying I’ve heard in playing golf : “it’s not how you drive, it’s how you arrive”. That little 18” putt can make a huge difference in the overall game. I’ve decided to meet with the Lord and talk with Him every day asking for wisdom and discernment. I’ve decided that when I do this daily, I can “win the day”. As I string some days together, they become weeks, months and years. Before long it will be the end and I really want to finish strong. The last day of my life, I want to have talked with Him so that when I see Him, He and I will still be “caught up”!

Pressing On!

Dwayne