Often, when one is approaching the end of their life, they think of what they want to accomplish before they die. For some, they may want to set the record straight about something.
For others, they may desire to extend forgiveness, or share a secret. And still, for others, they may care to offer words that should have been said long ago, but they just never had the courage to say them.
King David was faced with such a proposition. What should he say to his son Solomon, who of all his sons, God had chosen to sit on the throne as his successor, and to build the temple?
1 Chronicles 28 tells us what he chose.
First, he told Solomon to “know the God of your father”. Just because David knew God didn’t mean that Solomon would come to know Him. For each person must seek God, that He can be found by them. And as a loving and concerned father, David considered it of utmost importance to tell his son to know the God who made him.
Second, David told Solomon to serve God. David had experienced the fullness of life. From the time he was a boy shepherding his flock, to the years he had spent as King over Israel and Judah, David had served God, and learned that nothing was more important. And he knew that if Solomon’s life was to be properly ordered, God would have to be first in his heart, and that a life of service to Him would then follow.
And lastly, he told Solomon to not be afraid or dismayed for God was with him. What important words. Because Solomon was about to undertake a monumental task – the building of the temple in accordance with the plans God gave to his father. And it would be so easy for Solomon to feel that it was too much for him, or that he would get something wrong. And when such feelings enter in, a person can quickly become unnerved.
David could have chosen to talk with Solomon about a host of things related to the world, including relationships, the managing of wealth, or the finer points of being a king. But he chose to focus all his comments on God.
The sad truth is that some folks wait until their “later years” to say what they need to say to others, and then their lives end well before they were expecting.
What do you have to say to someone? Perhaps you should say it sooner than later. And perhaps, like David, it should be about God.
In His Service,
Pastor Rob