Famous last words. Well, some of them aren't so famous, even't if those who uttered them were ("put out the light" - Theodore Roosevelt).
These last words of a famous man truly are worth considering: "Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse declares, The man who was raised on high declares, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel, The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue." (2 Samuel 23.1-2)
What greater privilege can anyone enjoy than to be raised up and anointed by God, and to have Him speak through them? With life's final moments at hand, this "sweet psalmist of Israel" was savoring His Father's grace to him.
Hopefully no one reading these words is living in their final hours, but we each do well to live life from that perspective. There is wisdom in considering life's conclusion, and working back to the present. To finish well, we need to be on target in living today. Live life with a view of legacy.
It may be a bit morbid to think about what we want written on our gravestone, but it would be hard to improve on David's epitaph: "The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue." Better yet, if friends and family were asked to provide a phrase, that it would be something very similar to this one. He/she was a conduit through whom God spoke.
So, if this is our desired epitaph, then today's priority is to cultivate that reality. How might I best surrender myself to God's Spirit? How can I best be used as His spokesperson? Addressing these questions today puts us in a better position to be characterized as David was at the end of his days.
Our words are either life or death to other people. We either vent negativism from our natural humanity, or we uplift and encourage through God's Spirit.
We are called to be "good news people" in every sense of the word. The two-fold gospel (Acts 8.12) is our mantra for living and speaking. Kingdom faith, hope, and love resonate from the depths of our being, and bless those around us.
The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue." May all who know us best offer a hearty, "amen!" were we to speak these words about ourselves.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2012
These last words of a famous man truly are worth considering: "Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse declares, The man who was raised on high declares, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel, The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue." (2 Samuel 23.1-2)
What greater privilege can anyone enjoy than to be raised up and anointed by God, and to have Him speak through them? With life's final moments at hand, this "sweet psalmist of Israel" was savoring His Father's grace to him.
Hopefully no one reading these words is living in their final hours, but we each do well to live life from that perspective. There is wisdom in considering life's conclusion, and working back to the present. To finish well, we need to be on target in living today. Live life with a view of legacy.
It may be a bit morbid to think about what we want written on our gravestone, but it would be hard to improve on David's epitaph: "The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue." Better yet, if friends and family were asked to provide a phrase, that it would be something very similar to this one. He/she was a conduit through whom God spoke.
So, if this is our desired epitaph, then today's priority is to cultivate that reality. How might I best surrender myself to God's Spirit? How can I best be used as His spokesperson? Addressing these questions today puts us in a better position to be characterized as David was at the end of his days.
Our words are either life or death to other people. We either vent negativism from our natural humanity, or we uplift and encourage through God's Spirit.
We are called to be "good news people" in every sense of the word. The two-fold gospel (Acts 8.12) is our mantra for living and speaking. Kingdom faith, hope, and love resonate from the depths of our being, and bless those around us.
The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue." May all who know us best offer a hearty, "amen!" were we to speak these words about ourselves.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2012
posted by steve @ 9:21 AM
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