David realized his son Solomon was inexperienced and had much to learn if he was to successfully rule over Israel. He needed knowledge of how to manage the complex affairs of state, but, even more, he needed knowledge of God. So David counseled his son to become familiar with, come to know, God; and to serve Him with a loyal, or literally, a perfect heart and a willing mind. The same it true for us. Jesus said in Matthew, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (22:37). We need to be willing to “do the work” God has appointed us to do, whole-heartedly and with a willing mind.<\/p>\n
Every task involved in serving the kingdom of God requires someone who is willing to use the gifts God has given them. Notice the thrilling promise David shared with Solomon; a promise that has all the force of heaven behind it: \u201cIf you seek Him, He will be found.\u201d The promise is that we will find God if we will spend time seeking Him. Other verses echo this truth. “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). \u201cSeek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near” (Isa. 55:6).<\/p>\n
David left a hint imbedded in the Psalms of the best way to seek God: “Be still, and know that I am God” (46:10). Becoming quiet or still is always a prerequisite for receptivity. Cell phone or radio cannot receive messages when they are filled with static and noise. David tells us to first practice stillness and then listen. The order can\u2019t be reversed; if we try to, we will not be able to hear Him.<\/p>\n
“LORD, we quiet ourselves before You now. Please speak as Your servants are still before You.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n =============================================================<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Chronicles 28 KJV<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1<\/sup>\u00a0And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02<\/sup>\u00a0Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people:\u00a0As for me\u00a0<\/em>, I\u00a0had\u00a0<\/em>in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the\u00a0LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building:\u00a03<\/sup>\u00a0But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou\u00a0hast been\u00a0<\/em>a man of war, and hast shed blood.\u00a0\u00a04<\/sup>\u00a0Howbeit the\u00a0LORD\u00a0God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah\u00a0to be\u00a0<\/em>the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to make\u00a0me\u00a0<\/em>king over all Israel:\u00a05<\/sup>\u00a0And of all my sons, (for the\u00a0LORD\u00a0hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0over Israel.\u00a06<\/sup>\u00a0And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts: for I have chosen him\u00a0to be\u00a0<\/em>my son, and I will be his father.\u00a07<\/sup>\u00a0Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day.\u00a0\u00a08<\/sup>\u00a0Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the\u00a0LORD, and in the audience of our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0your God: that ye may possess this good land, and leave\u00a0it\u00a0<\/em>for an inheritance for your children after you for ever. 9<\/sup> And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the\u00a0LORD\u00a0searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. 10<\/sup>\u00a0Take heed now; for the\u00a0LORD\u00a0hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do\u00a0it<\/em>. 11<\/sup> Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,\u00a012<\/sup>\u00a0And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the\u00a0LORD, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things:\u00a0\u00a013<\/sup>\u00a0Also for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of the\u00a0LORD, and for all the vessels of service in the house of the\u00a0LORD.\u00a014<\/sup>\u00a0He gave\u00a0<\/em>of gold by weight for\u00a0things<\/em>of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service;\u00a0silver also\u00a0<\/em>for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service:\u00a015<\/sup>\u00a0Even the weight for the candlesticks of gold, and for their lamps of gold, by weight for every candlestick, and for the lamps thereof: and for the candlesticks of silver by weight,\u00a0both\u00a0<\/em>for the candlestick, and\u00a0also\u00a0<\/em>for the lamps thereof, according to the use of every candlestick.\u00a016<\/sup>\u00a0And by weight\u00a0he gave\u00a0<\/em>gold for the tables of shewbread, for every table; and\u00a0likewise\u00a0<\/em>silver for the tables of silver:\u00a017<\/sup>\u00a0Also pure gold for the fleshhooks, and the bowls, and the cups: and for the golden basons\u00a0he gave gold\u00a0<\/em>by weight for every bason; and\u00a0likewise silver\u00a0<\/em>by weight for every bason of silver:\u00a018<\/sup>\u00a0And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out\u00a0their wings\u00a0<\/em>, and covered the ark of the covenant of the\u00a0LORD.\u00a019<\/sup>\u00a0All\u00a0this, said David\u00a0<\/em>, the\u00a0LORD\u00a0made me understand in writing by\u00a0his<\/em>hand upon me,\u00a0even\u00a0<\/em>all the works of this pattern.\u00a020<\/sup>\u00a0And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do\u00a0it:\u00a0<\/em>fear not, nor be dismayed: for the\u00a0LORDGod,\u00a0even\u00a0<\/em>my God,\u00a0will be\u00a0<\/em>with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the\u00a0LORD.\u00a021<\/sup>\u00a0And, behold, the courses of the priests and the Levites,\u00a0even they shall be with thee\u00a0<\/em>for all the service of the house of God: and\u00a0there shall be\u00a0<\/em>with thee for all manner of workmanship every willing skilful man, for any manner of service: also the princes and all the people\u00a0will be\u00a0<\/em>wholly at thy commandment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" David realized his son Solomon was inexperienced and had much to learn if he was to successfully rule over Israel. He needed knowledge of how to manage the complex affairs of state, but, even more, he needed knowledge of God. 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