Author: admin

Our walk with God cannot be kept with a scorecard. We cannot assume that because we are doing nine things that are pleasing to God, we can live with one habit that dishonors Him. It doesn’t work that way. Whenever we say, “except that” or “but,” we are in trouble!

Solomon did many things the same way his revered father David had. “Except that, he offered sacrifices and burned incense” on the high places. The pagan Canaanites had used these worship sites during the time before Joshua and his forces defeated them. However, the idolatrous centers remained, littering the land, and enticing God’s people. From the City of David, one can see the hills lining the city, where the high places would have prominently overlooked Jerusalem.

It was not that Solomon was necessarily worshiping idols at this time, but he was trying to worship the true God in a pagan setting. And, in such a venue, it was only too easy to begin to mix false worship practices with the true faith. That was why God instructed His people to worship Him at the tabernacle, and later the temple, where the sanctity of worship could be preserved. However, the moment we take control of our walk with God, we run the risk of contaminating it. If our walk with God is going to be pleasing to Him, it must be done His way.

Human strategies always appear to be brilliant but they come with a steep price tag. Solomon was not a warrior like his father. He chose to use his brain instead of his brawn, to rule his kingdom. That would have been fine, had he always relied on God’s wisdom instead of his own brilliance.

In ancient times, marriage alliances with surrounding nations helped preserve peace. It was assumed a rival king would not invade a nation where his daughter was a queen. So Solomon made haste to marry the daughter of the Egyptian Pharaoh. How far the nation appeared to have advanced! Once slaves of Egypt, now marrying into its royal family! But Pharaoh and his family did not worship the true God. And, as a powerful family on the world stage, they expected to worship their own gods, regardless of which country they lived in. Even Israel.

Ultimately it would be these marriage alliances and the marrying of many women that would be the downfall of Israel’s wisest king. In following worldly “best practices,” Solomon forsook godly wisdom. The brilliance of the world seems appealing, but it leads to alienation from God.

It is perhaps inevitable that each generation should leave certain tasks unfinished for the generation that follows. While every generation has the enormous opportunity to do much good during their brief sojourn on the world stage, societies inevitably fail to achieve all that was within their potential. Every generation has enormous possibilities, but few fully rise to the occasion.

Nowhere is this more evident than in terms of justice. The founders of the American nation produced a magnificent constitution guaranteeing liberty and freedom for all. But many of those who signed the declaration owned slaves. These people knew that there were still wrongs that had to be righted, but for another day.

David knew that during his reign, his associate Joab had committed grievous sins. Yet David never confronted his evil colleague. David would go to his grave without dealing with the sin in his camp. But he asked his son to! David may have felt that he had compromised himself too much for him to act righteously toward Joab. Perhaps David felt like Joab had too much “dirt” on him. Maybe David cringed from this type of confrontation. Whatever the reason, David would pass on important tasks for his son Solomon to undertake.

What is it in our generation that we must confront because our parents did not? What might we be inadvertently passing on to our children rather than dealing with it ourselves?

King David loved his son and wished for him the best life possible. David left Solomon his treasury, his army, his palace, and his name. David did everything humanly possible to ensure that his son enjoyed a prosperous rule as his successor. But David knew what the key to his son’s success would ultimately be. It would lie in Solomon’s loyalty to God’s word.

God never promises to bless His children unconditionally. He will not shower us with blessings while we are living in defiance of His commandments. David understood this. He had felt the pain of being out of fellowship with God. He had suffered the grievous consequences of breaking God’s commandments. He certainly did not want his son to suffer the way he had. Over David’s long life, he had learned that when he sinned, his life was extremely vulnerable. But when he walked closely with God, he was unbeatable. So he urged his son to embrace the path to success and divine blessing.

The key for Solomon is the same secret to our success. Leading and living God’s way leads to blessing. Choosing our own way inevitably results in heartache. How faithfully have you been living, God’s way?

There are moments in a person’s life when all of your pronouncements and beliefs won’t make any difference. What will matter is what you do. Solomon had been promised his father David’s throne for many years. King David was the greatest leader in his nation’s history. Prominent leaders, such as the prophet Nathan, the priest Zadok, and the warrior Benaiah supported Solomon’s claim to the throne. Yet at the crucial moment of David’s death, everything hinged on what Solomon did next.

True leaders understand that there are certain tasks only they can do. No one else can perform them on their behalf. At such moments, leaders must step up and do what is necessary. It is the courage to do so that often separates leaders from followers. David had done everything in his power to prepare the way for his son. Yet he knew that all would be for not if Solomon hesitated or was irresolute. He therefore urged his son, “Be strong . . . and prove yourself a man.”

Solomon was not a warrior like his father, or even some of his brothers. He might easily have been intimidated by the aggressive efforts by others to usurp his authority. The key was courage. Was Solomon courageous enough to step up and do what was necessary?

As a leader, you will face moments where what you do next will determine your future success. Are you prepared to do whatever it takes?

The power of a godly legacy is that a generation builds on the one that preceded it. King Solomon was not a warrior like his father had been. But he didn’t have to be. David subdued the nations around him and made alliances with others. Solomon was able to rule during a period of general peace and prosperity. David gathered materials to build a temple, but it was his son Solomon who took those resources and built the magnificent house of worship for his God. Much of the reason that Solomon’s reign was so spectacular was because his father built such a strong foundation. In fact, God promised to bless Solomon because of the walk with God David developed.

What type of heritage are you preparing to pass on to your children and grandchildren? Will some things come easy for them because of the price you paid? Will they go farther in their walk with God than you did because of the spiritual storehouses you passed on to them? Will they accomplish more for God’s kingdom than you did because you left them resources that were unavailable to you when you were their age?

Godly parents delight in seeing their children advance farther than they did. Loving parents do not compete with their children; they bless them. They do not resent their offspring; they celebrate their victories. Take a moment to examine what you have provided your children thus far. Are they being equipped to rise to heights you could never have dreamed of achieving?

David understood that if he did not actively and purposefully invest in his successor, someone would follow him who would undo all that he had accomplished. David could not leave that to chance. So he actively worked to have his son Solomon assume his throne.

The problem for some leaders is that they cannot relinquish their role, even when it is time for them to step down. Rather than considering what is best for their organization, such self-centered leaders focus on what they perceive to be best for them. They clutch at their power rather than intentionally passing it on to the one following them.

It is not always easy for those who have led for long periods of time to promote the next generation of leaders. It is often difficult to acknowledge that our time is past. It is hard to accept that a younger leader is what our organization now requires. Yet if we want to leave a legacy that outlives us, we must invest in the future. We must intentionally bless those who follow us. In so doing, our influence will carry on, long after we are gone.

Who do you call when you have a problem? One thing can be said about David, he always had good people around him. Throughout his leadership, David never had to look far for an outstanding ally to call upon. David could be neglectful with his own children. But in times of crisis, he invariably turned to trustworthy associates who could get the job done.

Sadly, the reality is that too often when people face a crisis, they do not call on those who could help them. Parents struggle with one of their children, yet they do not call on wise friends to give them counsel. People undergo a crisis at work, yet they suffer silently rather than seeking the help and advice of godly friends. People must make crucial decisions concerning work or finances yet they do it blindly, without the aid of friends who could have assisted them.

One of the marks of wisdom is having the perception to know who to call upon for help in times of crisis. Calling on the right people can save you and others from much grief. Have you surrounded your life with people who can help you in time of need?

What do you do when you sense that evil is creeping in to your world? Nathan had a choice to make. He was an elder statesman. David, his king, was not long for this world. Nathan could easily have gone in to retirement and avoided conflict during the waning years of his life. But he could not do that. He recognized evil entering into his world, and he refused to sit idly by hoping someone else would take action.

Nathan also had the wisdom to know how to help people to sense the urgency of the hour. It is one thing to know there is a problem. It is quite another to recognize what must be done about it. Nathan had godly wisdom. He was the kind of person you want to have near in times of a crisis. He dealt with problems immediately, tactfully, and effectively.

Have you noticed problems around you? Do you sense God mobilizing you to take action in some way? Could it be that God intends for your life to make a significant difference in addressing the evil in your day?

How obvious is your integrity to others? Do people know you are incorruptible? Do they recognize that it is pointless to invite you to indulge in questionable behavior? When people are telling off color jokes at your office, do they pass you by? It is human nature to feel hurt when we are excluded from what others, especially the majority, are doing. Yet it might be a great compliment.

People who are engaging in sinful behavior have an innate ability to recognize like-minded accomplices. Evil activities quickly attract those with wicked hearts. It says much about leaders such as Nathan and Benaiah that when wicked men were seeking to gather a crowd, those two men were left off the invitation list. These men’s integrity was well-known. They were perceived as incorruptible. Having such godly men present would have spoiled the evil deeds others were plotting.

What impact does your presence have in your church or workplace or neighborhood? Do you stand as a bastion of integrity? When others are caving in to the pressure to compromise, do you stand firm?