Aside from Jesus, Paul, Hudson Taylor, and a few other people who’ve inspired me through the years, I can’t wait to meet King David when I get to heaven. He has always been so interesting to me.
I can totally relate to him. He was so very human, wasn’t he? Yet God called him a man after His own heart.
In I Chronicles 28, King David had reached the end of his life. He had gathered all his leaders and mighty men and warriors around them to give them some final words. His final charge. These were the last thoughts he would ever impart to them.
It started off as you would expect with David reminiscing about his life. He talks of becoming King and talks of His God. He encourages them to obey the commands of the Lord.
Then he turns to his son. To Solomon. To the one who is about to step into his shoes and carry on his dynasty and imparts some wisdom to him. I love his first final words to his son.
“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.”
David’s first words to Solomon were not about how to become a good king. His first exhortations to Solomon were not related to his impending kingship at all.
No. They were personal. They related to the thing David felt was most important for him to remember. What was most important for Solomon to do.
Learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately and worship Him wholeheartedly.
Above all else, these were the two most important things David wanted his son to know. To do.
Why? Because these were the two things that got David through everything he had faced in his life – the good, the bad, and the ugly.
David knew that no matter what Solomon would face, if he knew his God and worshipped Him wholeheartedly, he would make it. He would succeed.
There are going to be things we walk through in this life – good, bad, and ugly. Things that are difficult. That are painful. Things we just don’t understand.
But if we keep these two things first – to know Him intimately and to worship Him wholeheartedly – we will make it through, too.
There have been times in my life where I’ve prayed for something – something I really needed – and there was no answer. There have been days so dark that I would just look to God and say, “Hello! Where are you when I need you? Why? I thought you would…”
But those dark days never ended there. His comfort and peace always came. There would be a light at the end of the tunnel because I would turn to Him and say, “I don’t understand, but in all my years of knowing You, I’ve come to know that You are always good and You are always faithful and You see things I just don’t see. So, I choose to trust You, God!”
And it never failed…He would always work it around to something beautiful in my life. Always. ALWAYS!
So let me encourage you, if you are going through something you don’t understand, keep first things first. Learn to know Him intimately and worship Him wholeheartedly. You’ll be amazed at how fully satisfying and beautiful your life will be.