By Shane Kastler
Theoretically, the longer we are Christians the more we should grow in our faith. Certainly our knowledge of the things of God should increase; but our devotion to Him should grow deeper and deeper as well. This should be our goal, but this is not a guarantee. As time goes on our faith can waver, and no matter how long we've been believers, we can still fall into sin.
The Old Testament kings give us several examples of this. The Bible speaks of King Jehoshaphat in a positive way, by describing him like this: “The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David’s earlier days and did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, followed His commandments, and did not act as Israel did.” (2 Chronicles 17:3-4) It is interesting to note that “David's earlier days” were what Jehoshaphat was to emulate. David was renown for his great faith and love for the Lord, as a young man. But as he grew older, he fell into sin on numerous occasions. His affair with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his most loyal soldiers, was a permanent stain on his legacy. Moreover, David sinned at other times by performing a census, against God's wishes. And allowed a rebellion from his son Absalom to flourish much longer than it should have. Still, the Bible tells us that through it all, David was “wholly devoted to the Lord His God.” (1 Kings 11:4)
David's son Solomon is another example of one who started strong, then wavered. His wisdom as Israel's king was second to none in his younger days; as he sought the Lord and walked with him. But time has a way of turning your focus away from what is good; and Solomon let his heart be led into idolatry. By the end of his life he had returned to the Lord; but much of his life was marked by a drifting heart.
The lesson for us is simple. Like Jehoshaphat, we should seek to imitate “David's earlier days” and recognize the fact that, while we should be growing daily in Christlikeness, this reality is not a given. We should guard our hearts and our habits, and try to avoid the traps that David and Solomon fell into. As we grow older, we should also grow stronger in our faith, relying upon the Lord as more and more trials come our way.
Take inventory of your life today, and see to it that your devotion to God is strong and increasing. In short order, this life will be over; and you will want to know that instead of careening off course, you finished strong. In your last days, be able to say as the Apostle Paul did, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim. 4:7)
