Day to Day - I Kings 2:1-4

Using as a base for devotions, Day by Day by Charles Swindoll.

I Kings 2:1-4 (NIV)is the passage for today and it reads as follows: 

¹ When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.

 ² “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, ³ and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go ⁴ and that the LORD may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ 

wow!   it's that a great promise?   Live for God and God will help you prosper and he will keep his promises.

I can understand from this verse how the prosperity gospel came to be.   Do right, and God will help you prosper.

The thing is... it's rather hard to do right all the time.
God helping us prosper isn't a given.

But putting that aside...Here is David, he's about to die, and therefore he wants to live last instructions, or a good guide to life, to his inheriting child.

1. Be Strong
2. Act like a man
3. Observe what the Lord your God requires
4. Walk in obedience to God
5. Keep his decrees and his commands, his laws, his regulations - as written in the Law of Moses
6. Remember God's promise to me: 

 If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.

If Solomon does this, then God may prosper in all him do and wherever he goes. 

For Solomon to do this he will need to know well God's word.  He will need to stay in close communication with God.  Because THAT is how one follows the Lord God.   By knowing him well and desiring after him.   He will need to be different and stand out as one who loves God.

But we know that Solomon became influenced by the world around him.

He allowed things he shouldn't have.   He didn't stay true to what he should have.

My challenge before me is NOT to be so influenced by the world around me and the desires of my own heart, but to be more influenced by the Love that God has for me.

This is Charles Swindoll's challenge to us as well

"Start modeling the truth...the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God.   Think truth.  Confess truth.  Face Truth.  Love truth.  Pursue truth.  Walk truth.  Talk truth.  Ash, that lost one!   That's a good place to begin.   From this day forward, deliberately, consciously, and conscientiously speak the truth.  Start practicing gut-level authenticity."