I'm reading in 1 Chronicles these days. Most of it is a rehash of the events of 1 and 2 Kings, but there are some golden nuggets sprinkled throughout that make going over it again worthwhile.
One such verse is found in 1 Chron. 28:9. King David is preparing to die. God has already told him that he will not be the one to build God's temple as he'd hoped. David, I'm sure, is quite disappointed, but he is also an obedient son to the Lord Most High. He is happy to pass the honor to his son, Solomon. An interesting thing to note is that Solomon is David's son through his wife Bathsheba. The same Bathsheba whom he committed adultery with, whose husband he had murdered on the battlefield, and whose first child conceived in adultery died because of their sin. But God is a forgiving God and He is now ready to bless the entire Israelite community through Solomon.
David says in verse 9:
"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever."
I can't think of any better advice for a father to give a son. Or a daughter, for that matter.
Acknowledge God!
Serve God with wholehearted devotion!
Have a willing mind!
Seek God! Find Him!
As a parent of two sons, that is my deepest prayer for them! That they will acknowledge and serve God always! That they will truly live their lives for Him. Because ultimately that is what life is about! We were created BY God and FOR God. Period!
I especially take note of this phrase: "...the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts."
Folks, David knew God, so I believe he knows what he's saying here. God knows our every thought! He sees our every action! He knows the motives behind it all! This goes hand in hand with what David wrote in Psalm 139:23-24:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
You may not have had a father like David. Maybe your father didn't love the Lord. Or maybe, like my father, he did love the Lord but he just wasn't a big talker. I think my Dad felt that actions speak louder than words, but sometimes we kids need verbal instructions. We need to hear our fathers tell us to love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength!
If you are a Christian, then David is your father through adoption. Listen to his words. Live by them!
Seek God. Find God. Love God!
It doesn't get much plainer than that!
No comments:
Post a Comment