Like Father, Like Son
(2 minute read)
Have you ever felt as if you were in the shadow of someone greater than you? Maybe that shadow left big shoes to fill, like a much-loved, intelligent and respected mother. Perhaps the shadow is less than admirable. Maybe you can’t help but get the feeling that life is a bit more difficult because of the person whose shadow you grew up in. This month’s passage for our e-devotional shows King Solomon, the man who followed in the footsteps of the greatest king that the Israelites, and perhaps the world, had ever seen. King David was a mighty man who took initiative and had follow-through. Though he made mistakes, he fearlessly served the Lord. Just imagine your father’s gravestone reading like this:
“A mighty man who took initiative,
had follow-through and
fearlessly served the Lord.”
1 Kings 3:6-7 reads,
“And Solomon said, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.”
Notice a few things about Solomon’s words to the Lord:
First, Solomon was humble. He even went so far as to compare himself to learning like a small child. When we are seeking to live up to the high standards of the Christian faith, like Solomon was trying to fill the shoes of the great king David, our first approach should always be humility. We all fail. None of us have it right. When we start at a new job, we are going to make mistakes. It may take a while to get the hang of things, and it’s best to be sensible and humble. As Christian brothers and sisters, we are to be humble and not filled with pride, thinking that we have it all figured out. We’re all still learning!
Second, Solomon expressed thankfulness. As Christians we walk in the footsteps of remarkable people who the Lord has used to extraordinary ends. We ought to be thankful to be on the team! When a redeemed soul can express both humility and thankfulness, we can be sure that the Spirit of the Lord is blossoming within that person.
Last, seek to walk “in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart” toward the Lord. That’s easy to say, but how do we do it? The answer to that question is found in one statement that gives two answers: Read the Bible! The first answer in this statement is to say that we need to get to know the Lord by reading His love letter to us. The second answer here is to say, there’s no other way to know how to walk in righteousness, faithfulness and uprightness of heart than by reading and understanding God’s Word.
Prayer: Lord, ignite a fire in our souls to consume Your Word. Speak to us through the Bible and teach us your ways. Humble us and let our actions and attitude speak as loud as words. Amen.
