Today, I am reading and commenting on  1 Kings 2-3.

I like reviewing the pragmatic, and fair, way in which Solomon dealt with issues he had left over from the situation surrounding his taking the throne.  However, today I want to write about the first part of David’s instructions to Solomon as Solomon took the throne.  In particular, David tells Solomon to “be strong, act like a man.”  I do believe that David meant that being strong was part of what it meant to act like a man, or to make this lesson more general being strong is part of what it means to act like an adult.  We should all strive to act like adults.  David goes on to tell Solomon to observe what God requires and walk in obedience to Him.  This was also part of what it meant to act like a man, or like an adult.  David tells Solomon that if he does these things, he will prosper in whatever he does and wherever he goes.  While there was a materialistic element to what David meant by prosper, I believe that plays a minor part in the message which God has for us here.  If we choose to be strong, observe what God requires and walk in obedience to Him, we will prosper in all that we do.  We may not obtain material wealth, but we will succeed in what we do.  As for what it means to prosper in all that we do, I heard a story recently:

A man felt compelled by the Spirit to witness to an atheist friend and co-worker, who he knew was not receptive to the Gospel. He tried to dismiss it, but he felt compelled to invite the man to upcoming Easter Services. So, he yielded to the Spirit and did so. As he had expected his atheist friend turned him down, after the man had once again made the case for Christ and the Resurrection. The man went about his way, thinking he had not succeeded on that day. Some years later, he ran into a former co-worker who had worked with in the same building. This co-worker extended his sincerest thanks to the man. It turns out that while the man was trying to convince his atheist friend to come to services with him on Easter, this other co-worker was beneath another desk in the same office, connecting wires and overheard the conversation. Having heard the case made by the man for Christ and the Resurrection, the co-worker went home and told his wife they should go to services that Easter morning. A year later the co-worker and his wife gave their lives to the Lord. So, the original man thought that he had failed, but he was mistaken. He had instead prospered in what he did because he walked in obedience to God.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.