The book of 1 Kings begins with the end of David’s life. He has named his son, Solomon, as his successor. With Solomon taking over the kingdom, David has some last words of wisdom to pass down to his son – words that every father (and mother) should desire to teach their sons.
Be strong. David knew that ruling a kingdom, especially the kingdom of God’s chosen people, was not an easy task. He wanted Solomon to be a strong leader – but one who had a heart to follow God. The power that ruling can bring can either be used for good or bad and David desired Solomon to be a good king who could stand up for the kingdom and keep the Israelites following God.
Prove yourself a man. Solomon was still a young man. He had not fought the battles that David had fought. He still had lots to learn. He was not the warrior that Absalom and Adonijah was. Despite the fact that David had already promised Bathsheba that Solomon would be the next king, David does not stop Adonijah from trying to take the throne. Through the prophet Nathan, God had to remind David that God had chosen Solomon to rule next. So David wanted his son to “prove himself a man.” 1 Corinthians 16:13 says, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” David wanted Solomon to be courageous for God and serve Him with boldness and zeal.
Keep the charge of the Lord. God had called Solomon to be the next king, one that came with huge responsibility. David wanted Solomon to stay true to his calling.
Walk in His ways. Israel’s biggest struggle had always been following what everyone else was doing and worshipping false Gods. David wanted Solomon to follow the ways of God, to worship Him only and to lead Israel to do the same. To do so would require Solomon to saturate every part of his life with the principles of God’s Word.
To keep God’s statutes, commandments, judgements, and testimonies. David had learned the hard way what stepping out of God’s commands could cost. He wanted His son to remember every command and law of God, as well as the judgements God had rendered when Israel stepped out of God’s will. He also wanted Solomon to remember all the mighty things God had done for Israel and to place his faith and trust in the God that had provided and protected the nation.
That you may prosper in whatever you do and wherever you go. David knew the importance of God’s blessing and that the way to receive His blessing was to stay within His will by walking in obedience to all the God says. God’s blessing is a supernatural, wonderful, and unlimited goodness given only by God. Psalm 1:2 says, “his delight is in the LORD’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.”
Oh, that we, as parents, would teach our sons these same principles. How different would our world be? However, in order to teach it, we must first live it ourselves.
God, Love and Marshmallow Wars: This book contains 365 daily challenges for couples to strengthen their relationships to each other and with God. Couples will complete activities such as Scripture memory, conversation starters, relationship builders, learning about Biblical marriage, romance builders, personal reflections, and date ideas. Click here to purchase your copy. (This link will open a new widow and take you to Westbow Press’ bookstore.) It is also available at Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel
Looking for a speaker for your next ministry event? Julia is now booking for 2019 and 2020 Christian events for women’s and couples’ ministries for both small and large events.
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Julia is CEO of Wellspring Christian Ministries, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people and couples develop a passionate relationship with God. A public speaker, conference trainer, event planner, and blog writer, Julia is a two-time graduate from Grand Canyon University with a bachelor in Psychology and a masters in Professional Counseling. Saved as a child and raised in church and in a Christian home and private Christian School as a Pastor’s kid, Julia has taught Sunday school, led music, played the piano, served as Children’s Director, and engaged her gifts in many other areas of church life. Previously employed with the Florida Baptist Convention, Julia organized events and led conferences for church ministry assistants.
Julia enjoys sharing her journey as a growing Christian with others looking for a deeper connection with God. Through Bible study and her own life experiences, God has given Julia a passion to help couples understand God’s design for marriage while they learn to place God first in their marriage, cultivate meaningful relationships, build intimacy, and address the tougher issues that come in every marriage so that they can experience a marriage that honors and glorifies God. Julia also loves mentoring, teaching, and working with women to help them learn to live as Godly women.
With her history and experience growing up in both small and large churches, Julia enjoys bringing top level quality events to churches of all sizes. Her father largely pastored small churches and therefore she understands that these vital parts of the believing community need to be good stewards of the resources God provides them with. This knowledge inspires her passion for being available with a fresh perspective for those who want to provide their congregations with meaningful spiritual growth opportunities.
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