There’s an old Greek proverb that says, “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”
King David wanted to build a house for God, but God told him not to. David could have lost all interest in the idea after that, and we would understand why. If it was to be the responsibility of one of his sons, perhaps David should leave it alone.
Instead, David spent the rest of his life gathering building materials for the Temple. When David’s son Solomon got around to the construction of the Temple, he had an entire warehouse full of supplies and a complete set of blueprints (see 1 Chronicles 28). It was like Solomon had a whole Home Depot at his disposal!
David knew that he wouldn’t be the one to build the Temple. He knew it would be one of his sons. He also knew that his son would need a lot of wood, stones and fabric to complete what would already be a mammoth task. So David decided to use his remaining days making the task easier for his son, even though he knew that he would never see the building completed!
There’s a lesson in there for us. Like David, we live in in-between times, toiling between the first coming of Jesus and the second, enjoying the “already/not-yet-ness” of God’s kingdom. We may never live to see the day of His returning. It might happen this afternoon, or He might wait another century. We don’t know.
But one day it will happen. One day, people will do God’s will as it is now being done in heaven. One day, the lion will lay down with the lamb, swords will be beaten into ploughshares, the blind will see, the lame will walk, the poor will be rich and the weak will become strong. One day, everything currently upside-down will be turned right side up again.
It may be for the next generation to see the fulfilment of God’s promises. We may never see them, but the way we live our remaining days can either make it easier or more difficult for the generations that follow after us.
So, we long for Christ’s return. We join our voices with millions of Christians from the past and pray, “Maranatha! Lord, come quickly!” But in the meantime, we wait, and we do more than wait. We gather into the storehouses the materials future generations will need to participate with God in expanding the borders of His kingdom in their time. We put forth our best efforts to leave a legacy, planting those trees whose shade we may never enjoy.
Lord, I ask for the humility and willingness to live out my life for the sake of others rather than for personal gain or reputation. You have called me to leave a legacy by building Your unbroken truth into the next generation. I want to invest all You have graciously given me in the lives of others so that I will live well and wisely, and not foolishly and selfishly. Let me view every day as if it were my last, knowing that I will either go to be with You or be alive on earth when You return. Let me live each day in light of that day and relish the opportunities You have given me today, investing my time and resources well. I want to abide in You in such a way that when You appear, I may have confidence and not shrink away from You in shame at Your coming.
In Jesus’s name, Amen
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