No Time To Coast

“What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?” (Ps 30:9 AV)

David utters this towards the end of his life.  He has about five or six years left.  He may not know exactly how much time he has, but he is aware life is winding down.  He also writes this upon reflection of Solomon’s role as his successor.  He writes this after compiling all the materials necessary to build the temple.  This utterance us David’s reflection of limited time in which to serve the LORD.  He writes this knowing opportunities are beginning to become less and less.  It doesn’t sound to me like David wants to retire anytime soon.  He wants to go out with a  bang.  Not a fizzle.  He sees his life coming to a close as an unfortunate reality rather than anticipation.  David knows there are so many days in a week, weeks in a month, months in a year, and years in a lifetime.  Once his life is over, there will be no more opportunity to affect the world with the kingdom of Christ.  No more souls to touch.  No more battles to wage.  No more buildings to erect.  All, for him at least, will be over.

There were a lot of lessons I learned while laboring in the factory.  I worked in a factory that manufactured foam plates and plastic food service containers.  The vast majority of my time there I worked in the department that made nine and ten-inch foam plates.  When the operator arrives, he looks at the schedule and production schedule to see who he has working with him and what they are to produce.  This is so important because your lot might change mid-shift.  The schedule might call for a change over from non-laminated to laminated.  Or from white to beige.  There might be a change over to our name brand to the generic equivalent.  At any rate, by doing a simple calculation, one can tell when that change over might occur.  It might occur during your shift.  Or it may be into the next.  Depending on one’s work ethic, a plan is formulated as to how to either get the current run done or take one’s time.  It all depended on how industrious the team was and what their priorities were.  If they wanted to coast the last hour, they would have a few shut-downs during the shift so the run was complete just shy of quitting time.  That way, the team could clean up and stand around for the last half-hour.  But, if the operator and his team had a good work ethic, they would do their dead-level best no matter when the changeover occurred.  They would go one hundred percent until the job was done.  There would be no coasting.

This verse speaks volumes to me.  As someone who is living through his middle-aged years, I am staring at the twilight as it quickly approaches.  I can react in one of two ways.  I can look forward to my last years as one of rest.  Or, I can lament I have but a few left in which to serve the LORD before mankind.  I can either look for a retirement home where I can live out my life playing putt-putt, or seek as many opportunities to share my faith by serving in the church.  I can either waste away my days sipping lemonade, or I can visit with other believers who need encouragement and prayer.  I am not there yet.  I have a few decades, at the most, in which I can still actively serve in the calling for which God created me.  There is never a time to coast.  There are always runs to be completed.  The warehouse can never be full.  Even if we have slowed down a bit, there is still some task to do.  Some battles remain.  I may not be able to keep pace with those half my age, but I can at least keep some sort of pace.  Part of this tired saint wants to rest.  He wants to graduate to glory.  But another part of me wants to accomplish that which remains to be done.  My prayer is the desire never wanes.  Like David, I need to see opportunity is limited.  I need to see that once this life is past, there will be no more building blocks to lay.  Now is the time!  It is always the time!