2 Samuel 18:18  During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King’s Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, “I have no son to carry on the memory of my name.” He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

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Dear King David,

You have nothing left to prove. Your prowess as a defender of sheep, a warrior, a commander, and a king are amply and justly celebrated. We know the stories of the lion, the bear, and the Big Boy. We know all about your many exploits. We know all about how God has blessed you now and forever. We know who you were. Now it is time to be who you are. 

Who you are is different now. This is a new season. You are not the teenager with a sling, some stones, and a giant too big to miss. 

You are not the young warrior wildly celebrated and hunted down like a rebellious warlord. 

You are not the king consolidating his gains and establishing a system of government while establishing adequate defenses against outside raiders. 

You are not the king who proved he knows how to retreat strategically when necessary to draw the battle away from the innocents. 

You are the aging king whose best service now is preparing the way for those who will come behind you. 

Who will succeed you on the throne? What does he need to experience his own kind of success? What do you need to warn him about? How will you protect him from the intrigue and schemes of those with their own agendas for their preferred candidates for king?

What needs to be in place to prepare your nation, God’s people from unnecessary division? What do you need to do to ensure your son’s son and their sons beyond them stay faithful to God?

The day of your death approaches. You know this. We know this. It is the way of all the world. Let us not hasten the arrival of this day by being who you are not. Let us prepare for that day by being who you should be in this season. 

The season of sword and bow and sling is over. This is the season of ultimate contribution. This is the season to answer the question, “Of all I could do between this day and That Day, what is the one thing I must do?”

This is the season to think bigger thoughts than your current leadership. How will you finish well? Israel’s leaders have a bad habit of not finishing well. Even Moses came up short by a bit. 

This is a good day to pray the prayer you often pray,

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
(‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139:23-24‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

This is a good day to root out any offense. This is a good day to walk the everlasting way. Stay current with God. Press forward toward the goal. Finish well. 

With gratitude,
Abisahi and Zeruiah

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I will stay current with God and finish well.

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Our Father, seasons come and seasons go. Show me what is most important now. What is the one thing I need to focus on more than any other? Whatever you want is what I want, too. Amen.