My title for this devotion is Starting Strong vs Finishing Well.

David got tired in battle.  The Scripture is clear and plain in saying that. (2 Samuel 21:18). So much so that a Philistine giant would have killed him if not for Abishai. It was then his men said, “No more.”

It’s hard to accept aging sometimes. I ought to know.  The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. I can still ride my bike. Just not as far nor as often nor as demanding a ride back to back. I can still lift weights. Just not as much. Nor can I bulk up like I used to. It is hard to read that a man like David grew so weary his men were alarmed and said, “No more.”

We all grow weary at time. Whether it’s age or simply the baggage of life, we sometimes feel like giving up. The important thing to remember is no one remembers how you start the race. Who cares if a team scores 9 runs in the 1st inning but loses 10-9? Who cares who won the first day of the Tour de France? It’s the one who stands on the podium in the yellow jersey 3 weeks later who is memorialized.

No one cares because it isn’t the start but the end that matters. It’s like Saul and David. Saul started well but finished dead last. David started and finished well. He made a few mistakes along the way (don’t we all?) but his legacy is intact. I’m reminded of Paul’s words to Timothy: “I have fought a good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim.4:7)

“Father, aging is part of the process. The alternative for the follower of Christ is a good thing (death), but it happens. The important thing is to finish well. Help me to stay strong; to stay the course; and to finish the race well.”