1 Kings 1:1 (ESV) -- Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm.

Our first introduction to David in the Bible is when all the sons of Jesse are lined up for Samuel the prophet to review. Samuel was there to choose the next king after Saul. But nobody present in that lineup was the one. Samuel asked if this was all the sons. It wasn’t. There was still one not there, the young one. He was in the field tending to the sheep. It was David.

From this introduction and throughout Scripture, we meet and follow the life of David. We watch him take on Goliath, fight battles on behalf of Israel, run from Saul’s pursuit, become the king, fall from grace, and repent to restoration. David’s life is fascinating. And like all lives, it will come to an end. We read in our passage today, “Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm.”

It is fascinating to read that the young boy challenging the giant to a fight is the one that can’t get warm regardless of how many layers they put on him. He is old. This is a part of life that we know in our minds comes for everyone, but we tend to put it away until we wake up one day and recognize it is upon us. Our bodies ache. Our eyes and ears weaken. Growing older has beauty to it, but it can also be hard. 

Some people reading this will be in the position David is in. You have fewer years in front of you than you have behind you. Some folks are in the middle, and others are still young. But the sobriety of this text is that—if the Lord gives us long life—aging comes to all. There’s no avoiding it. You can’t slow it or pause the process. Instead, we should embrace the reality of old age and seek to not waste our lives. We should strive to grow in wisdom and knowledge, to leave a legacy behind for our faith and family. Remembering the arc of David’s life should cause us to be more intentional with our own. Time keeps on going. We shouldn’t waste a moment.

Reflection & Journal:
- How is this passage a contrast to our first introduction to David?
- What does this passage teach us about the inevitability for us all if the Lord continues to give us days? 
- Why does this passage encourage us to live intentionally and faithfully?

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