Serving Your Generation

(From June 11)

“For David, after he had served his own generation
By the will of God, fell on sleep…”
Acts 13:36

    Twice now this past week someone has mentioned this verse to me. And for some reason it never stuck out to me before. My sister and I always say that we wish we lived a long time ago, even though the work was hard, life was simple and people were satisfied. But I was talking to my friend while working one day about my desire to start a website to help teen girls with the issues they face. She was saying how God puts us here, in this time period, to reach our generation. In some ways we must come up/ keep up with ways that our generation lives. A website is a prime way for people to be reached in this generation.
     Apparently God felt it important to mention that David reached his generation. And the Bible is still true for us today. May we reach our generation too.

         But how did David serve and reach them?
              And How can we?
Looking at his life just briefly I found some things that stuck out to me.
1. He was faithful and obedient to His father.
       He tended the family sheep(a girl’s job in Bible times) and carried supplies to his brothers.
2. He had courage to stand up to Goliath without protective armour
        He knew this enemy of God needed to be taken care of and he didn’t need anything but God and a strong dose of faith. He is mentioned in Hebrew’s Hall of Faith because of this.
3. He used his talents for God’s Glory
        He played his harp skillfully, first for his sheep and then as a form of comfort for King Saul’s troubled spirit.
        He also wrote or composed the majority of the Psalms which still give comfort today.
4. He had friends that encouraged his to do right
        Jonathon was like a brother, but he was older than David. He gave us his position with out a fight - so David could do God’s will.
5. He tried not to abuse his position
         He was king and could have let his position pull him away from the Lord. Instead he prepared to build the Temple (furthering the work of God)
6. He knew how to confess and forsake when he sinned
         He did abuse his position but not going to war, seeing Bathsheba bathing, killing Uriah, and marrying Bathsheba, but we was convicted, he confessed,  and he was restored.
7. He Fought and was a man of war
          David had to conquer the land, defeat the worldliness. He knew God didn’t want His children influenced by the pagan customs and lifestyle.
8. He was a man of God with Convictions
       God called him a man after God’s own heart and we know he was chosen, not because of the outward appearance but because of his heart.
9 He did great things for God
       Battles were won, preparations were made for the Temple, songs were written, God was glorified, and he raised Solomon to be the next, and wisest king.

There are more things I know, but the point is: David’s generation could see what he lived for and he served/ reached them. Esther had her generation to serve “For such a time as this.: (Esther 4:14)       

                              How will I serve and reach my generation?
                                       How will you?