Do you have that one person in your life who always seems to give the best advice? We all need that kind of person, don’t we?
I was reading about King David’s life recently and was really struck by the advice he gave Solomon around the time he was handing the kingdom over to his son.
1 Chronicles 28:8-10: “So now, with God as our witness, and in the sight of all Israel—the Lord’s assembly—I give you this charge. Be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, so that you may continue to possess this good land and leave it to your children as a permanent inheritance. And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. So take this seriously. The Lord has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work.”
What great advice! He instructs Solomon to…
1. Be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord
2. Learn to know God intimately
3. Worship and serve God with his whole heart and a willing mind
4. Seek God
5. Do the work the Lord has given him to do
See, throughout his life, David had learned the value of all of these things. He knew Solomon’s success – or failure – would hinge on his relationship with the Lord.
Where are your priorities? If you find that you can’t say that you always follow all of David’s advice, don’t worry – you aren’t alone. I cringe just a little on the inside as I think how often I fail to do those things.
Yet the beauty of our Lord is that His mercies are new each day (Lamentations 3:23) and He loves us unconditionally. It doesn’t get much better than that!
Candle Sutton 