Be Strong, Therefore, And Prove Yourself A Man!

I'm always struck by the contrast between the Old Testament and the New Testament.  In the NT we are told "the meek shall inherit the earth".  In the OT we have "be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man".  As I've written many times, the Bible is a book of balance.  Let's see what we can learn from King David's instructions to Solomon as King David lay on his death bed.

1 Kings 2:1-4(NKJV)

1Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: 

2“I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. 

3And 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; 

4that 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.’

We start with the overall instruction "be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man".  King David is letting Solomon know up front that it takes strength to be successful in life.  It isn't easy.  It takes hard work.

Then King David goes on to tell Solomon how to accomplish that goal.  How do we do that?  "Walk in His ways, keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies."  And who is King David referring to?  God!  Always walk in God's ways.  Now that was good instruction for Solomon but do you think it would work equally well for us?

King David goes on to give Solomon the reason he should do all these things.  "that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn."  Seems like a pretty good reason to me. 

And finally King David answers the question "How do we know that it will turn out this way?"  Because God has promised us in His Word that it will be that way and God doesn't break His promises!

Remember God wants good things for His people who walk in His way.  He wants them to be successful.  He wants them to prosper.  As I look at King David's instructions I think we could all use those same instructions today.  And what is the number one step in walking in God's ways?

Accepting Jesus Christ, God's son, as your personal Lord and Savior.  God sent His son to pay the price for our sins and then to lead us and guide us the rest of our lives.  Have you accepted Jesus yet?  It's easy.  Simply have a conversation with Jesus.  Share with Him what is on your heart and ask Him to take over and guide your life.  "Dear Jesus…."