Title: Straight Talk/Topic: Commissioning

Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 1; 1 Chronicles 28; Psalm 91; 1 Thessalonians 5

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 28:9,10
9 "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10 Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work."

Observation: David gives his son a dose of straight talk and a commissioning to fulfill his duty and call. In no uncertain terms he tells his son to serve the Lord with a wholehearted devotion and willingness (meaning there is no resistance or rebellion on his part). I thought the use of the phrase “acknowledge the God of your father” was interesting. I think David is communicating to Solomon that following the course that is laid out for him by David is the best way to honor his father, in addition to being the only way to succeed. In verse 10, King David commissions his son to the work of building the temple. This was done in front of a lot of people. That made Solomon at least somewhat accountable to them to get the job done and also enlisted their support to help him accomplish the task he had been given.

Application: I believe our young people would fare much better in life if we were to do something like what David did and “commission” them to successful adulthood. The Jewish people still practice Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies to acknowledge their entrance into adulthood. And their young people ca only go through those ceremonies after they have demonstrated a certain level of learning about their faith. It would be good if we followed this example, even if only in our own families.

Prayer: Father, help us to raise our children with focus and purpose. May we pray for direction from you about what they are to do in life and give them “straight talk” about the consequences of willingly obeying you or of choosing their own path. May we give them a sense of being commissioned to achieve something grand in life that we have helped to prepare them for.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.