Today's Bible Reading: 1 CHRONICLES 26:1-28:21
1 Chronicles 28:9
“And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.”
We are all given tasks and assignments throughout life. At school we have homework. At home we have chores. At work we have tasks. In all of these we seek to excel. We strive to complete the charge that was given to us.
David was old and in ill health (1 Kings 1:1). He knows he is not long on this earth. So, he takes measures to install his son Solomon to replace him as king before he dies. He gives a final charge to his son. He declares that the Lord has chosen Solomon to build the temple in his place. He then imparts words of wisdom for his life.
His counsel was simple and sound. He advises him to seek and to serve the Lord. David challenges his son to know God. He admonishes Solomon to make the God of his father his own. David advises him not just to know about Him but to know Him. He calls on him to learn about the Lord and His ways, to dive deep into His attributes and actions and to discern all there is to know of Him. He urges him to investigate who the Lord is. David commends his son to contemplate the Lord’s character. He encourages Solomon to consider all that encompasses the Lord. He instructs him to inquire about His love, His mercy, His grace, His goodness, His faithfulness, as well as His judgements, and His wrath. He charges Solomon to know what pleases the Lord and how he can please Him. Solomon is exhorted to consider all the Lord has done and can do. David had told Solomon previously, “Set your mind and heart to seek the Lord”. (1 Chron 22:19). Solomon was to seek the Lord. He was to make knowing the Lord his passionate pursuit and his lifelong quest.
But Solomon was not just to seek Him, but also to serve Him. David encouraged his son not to serve the Lord by just completing a task or finishing “his’ assignment. He challenged him to serve the Lord intentionally and intellectually. He tells him to have a favorable heart and a focused mind in serving the Lord. David says “serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind”. He was to be fully engaged in his enterprise of serving God. He was not to serve God half-heartedly. He was to serve the Lord enthusiactically. He was to serve the Lord with gladness. He was to be characterized by a happy heart of service. He was to exude excitement at the prospect of serving His God. He was to eagerly and earnestly perform all that His Lord beckoned him to do. He was to serve the Lord with all his affections.
He was to serve the Lord with knowledge and wisdom. He was to cognitively serve the Lord. His mind was to be focused on serving Him. He was to thoroughly think through his decisions and give great thought before he took action. He was to have a mind that was willing to serve, not one that was reluctant or resistant. He was not to be motivated to serve the Lord out of duty, but out of delight. He was not to be uncooperative or disobedient but diligent in the Lord’s service. He was not to gripe or complain when his task became toil, but rather refocus his mind and heart on God’s plan and purpose for his service. He was to serve the Lord with the right attitude. His heart and head were to be in it.
We too must adopt the challenge that David gave to Solomon. We must seek and serve the Lord. We must deliberately seek to know the Lord. We must direct our mind to seek the Lord. Our thoughts must turn to knowing Him, not just knowing about Him. We should desire to be intimately acquainted with all his works and ways. We must also wholeheartedly be employed in the Lord’s enterprise. We ought to serve the Lord with delight and seek the Lord diligently. It is imperative that you serve the Lord passionately and seek Him persistently. In doing so David affirms, “He will be found by you”.
Today rekindle your desire to seek and serve the Lord. Ask the Lord to remove anything or anyone that draws you away from gladly serving Him and genuinely seeking Him. Ask Him to give you the right attitude and affections to seek and serve Him.
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