1 Chronicles 28:8-9 - So now, with God as our witness, I give you
this charge for all Israel, the LORD's assembly: Be careful to obey all the
commands of the LORD your God, so that you may possess this good land and leave
it to your children as a permanent inheritance. "And Solomon, my son, get to know the God
of your ancestors. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and with a
willing mind. For the LORD sees every heart and understands and knows every
plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him,
he will reject you forever.
David knew it was time to step down off the throne. He was old…and knew he had fulfilled all that
God had told him to do….so he gathered the political leaders….religious leaders….and
all that he had given duties at the palace or palace grounds. Then he addressed them with a speech that
reminded all who were present of the great God they worshiped….making sure to
explain that he was stepping down as king…and passing his crown to his son
Solomon.
David’s charge to his son as he was passed the full responsibility
of being king …reminded them all that he had been given all the plans to the
temple…how he had collected all that they would need…and why God had chosen
Solomon to build it. Then he charged his
son to chase after God with all his heart and soul…to get to know him…worship
him…..serve him…with a willingness to learn all that he could.
David was imparting to his son the secret of his own
happiness….security…and sense that God had been just and merciful to him. He knew that Solomon would need to rely on
the same source of power if he were to be successful in the job God had given
him to do. David knew that we have to seek God…if we are to find him a presence
in our lives.
God doesn’t just sit at our doorstep and hope we trip over
him…he requires us to develop a personal relationship with him through prayer….Bible
study….and worship at a church. We need
to build around us people who love God…and model for us how to love him only….people
who will provide fellowship and a safe worship environment. We need to develop a prayer routine that
gives us a daily time to talk to who should be our best friend….and find a consistent
time to study his word…every day. We
need to memorize the passages that will give us the strength we need …when
satan comes around to try and trick us away from spending time with our Lord.
I can testify to how God has changed my life ….given me strength
beyond what I ever imagined…even through the darkest valleys of life….because I
have learned to sit down with his word EVERY evening 3 years ago. I simply can’t sleep…till I spend some time reading
a chapter from the book of directions he gave us to live by. The quiet time I
spend in the morning…allowing God to help me understand what wisdom I might
need each morning to help me grow is the most precious time of the day….the
icing on the cake so to speak. I truly can’t imagine how dark my life would be
if I had not begun to chase God….and seek him each day.
I will admit that I am still working on the prayer part of
our relationship…trying to make it a more consistent… deeper… more unselfish
time with God. I am good at shouting to
God all my needs…and lifting up the needs of my friends…talking TO him is not a
problem. LISTENING….to his voice is
where I need to grow….so I can be confident …like David…that what I have done
is because the Holy Spirit gave it to me to do.
Father…thank you for this great father David…who learned
through the mistakes of his own life that you should be his best friend…and he
should spend more time with you than anybody.
Thank you for recording his charge to his son…as he passed the crown of
Israel to him the day he stepped down as king.
Help me to chase after you the way he told Solomon to seek you…with my
whole heart….all of my mind….and my thirsty soul. Keep my passion strong to study your Bible…..and
open wide my ears to help me listen to your Holy Spirit tell me how to fulfill
your will for my life. Amen.
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