To Leave a Legacy that Lasts...

Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: "I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; that the LORD may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,' He said, 'you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'”  1 Kings 2:1-4

This coming Sunday is Father’s Day, a day set apart to recognize and celebrate dads and all they do for their families.  As a father, how would you like to be remembered? David, understanding the significance of the matter, calls his son to his side and challenges him to accept the legacy being handed down and to commit to passing it on to generations to follow. 

Courageously Accept the Responsibility of Your Position.  

There is a point in the life of a boy where he must accept the role of being a man.  David's advice was to be strong and responsible to your calling. 

Ephesians 6:10 - Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

In David's fatherly advice to Solomon, he was saying more than just to be a physically powerful man.  Physical strength alone does not prove one to be a man.  A real man is not measured from the outside, but from the inside where God's strength resides.   A man who has been taught that he should be the head of the house and respected by those under his roof can easily become abusive if he does not properly understand what that does NOT mean.

Keep the Commandments of God with Personal Conviction.
Preference can be described as "a choice; negotiable (optional)." Therefore, the opposite of preference is conviction. Conviction is defined as "a requirement; non-negotiable.  A preference is a strong belief, but a belief that you will change under the right circumstances.   A conviction is a belief that you will not change. Why? A man believes that his God requires it of him.  A conviction is not something that you discover; it is something that you purpose in your heart. Convictions on the inside will always show up on the outside, in a person's lifestyle. To violate a conviction would be a sin. 

Communicate Through Word and Example the Importance of God’s Truth and Ways 

David was passing the mantle to Solomon.  David had sinned and suffered the consequences and now he was instructing his son to keep the ways of God rather than the ways of man.

 “What is the one thing you would pass on if there was only one thing?”

There must be a passing of the mantle from our lives to the lives of our children. What will we pass to them?  Will they look to our lives to see the value of walking in the ways of God? It is not enough to be a man who lets his children decide for themselves. You and I must show them the way to God through our lives. There is a reciprocal law working in our lives as well as our children's lives. "Children learn what we live!" 

Tomorrow we will focus on God’s Spiritual Legacy Program and how fathers can live their lives to leave that legacy for their children.

Scripture to Claim:
"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9