David and the Other Giant

 "When the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David and his servants with him went down and fought against the Philistines; and David grew faint. Then Ishbi-Benob, who was one of the sons of the giant,...thought he could kill David. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, you shall go out no more with us to battle,..." 2Samuel 21:15-17

In 1Samuel 17 we read the amazing story of David killing Goliath. How a young man stood up to a veteran warrior, a giant, and killed him with a shepherd's sling and one smooth stone. This was a great victory for Israel. This elevated David in the eyes of both friends and foes. David became a warrior and then a warlord under Saul until David finally became King.

Now years later we find that Goliath was not alone. There were other giants among the Philistines. And so David, no doubt remembering how the Lord gave him victory over Goliath, thought that he could take on and kill the son of the giant. How wrong David was. How weary David became in battle. And how close to death at the hand of this giant he had come. If David's men had not intervened to save their king this old man David might have been killed by this young giant. David's men, because of this episode, told him to leave the hard fighting to the young men and don't endanger your life and the lives of others to satisfy your ego.

How many times in one of our churches have I heard a pastor tell us that doing what you used to do is the key to reviving your aging soul. This is the Sun City Gospel; that being happy and fulfilled comes by acting young and trying to look young. Entropy is the unavoidable law of nature that we are all heading to a point of no return where the spirit may still be willing but the body say no way Jose. Mid-life crisis is when you realize that you have crested the hill and you are on the downward slope of your life.

I have begun to wonder if our Fellowship is so reluctant to address the ageing saint issue because we only know one way to serve the Lord. It's all or nothing. That leaves us who are older feeling left out or unwanted and considered to be a drag on revival. 

If David had not been rescued by his friend we would see his story end right there. In our Fellowship some older saints feel like they are worth more dead than alive. Or they move away seeking a place of acceptance and value. We have no appreciation for the older saints; except for pastor Mitchell, who is dead and gone, and soon will be forgotten.

Paul would not have retired either. So the Lord put him in a Roman jail for years so he could write the epistles that make up the New Testament. Too bad pastor Mitchell could not disengage and write his thoughts for future generations of young disciples.