1 KINGS 2:3
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…
TO PONDER
I have told the story about the grace prayer my darling wife prayed over our family dinner the day I found out I was going to plant a church for LifeWay in Western Sydney already but just as a reminder let me share it again…
“God, we thank you for Papa’s (that’s what our boys call me) new job, we pray that he doesn’t mess it up…” Now, that is maybe not a direct quote but it is the essence of what was prayed and so not to interrupt the prayer or the meal I waited until the next day before I questioned the prayer. The response given for the prayer from my supporting wife was “Well you do know you are a rebel, right? And, these are Lutherans…”, again not a direct quote but close enough.
Today’s verse is part of the advice King David gives to his son Solomon as his death was approaching. It can be summed up as “Make sure you do everything God tells you to do, follow all the rules and regulations and don’t mess it up!” Sounds like great, supportive advice from a proud dad…
Kind of reminds me of the grace my wife prayed those four or so years ago, although it sounds harsh and perhaps even judgemental from an overbearing father, I’m sure Solomon heard the advice in context. David is described in the Bible as “a man after God’s own heart”, so you would think the advice would be full of superiority from an expert of all of God’s rules and commands but the context was different. David was a flawed man, he was an adulterer, a murderer, at times mentally ill, he was broken, he was a rebel, but most of all, David understood the grace of God because he was restored and forgiven.
Solomon would have heard the advice through the lens of grace.
After Michelle’s prayer I agreed with everything she prayed but I recognised it through the lens of grace, the focus on God’s grace practiced as a Lutheran and then the rebel part of her explanation… Well Jesus was considered a rebel, his teaching offended the religious people, Martin Luther rebelled against the wrong teaching of the church to the extent of being shunned by the church, but David, Jesus, and Luther all understood and obeyed the truth of grace.
PRAYER: Loving God, I thank you for showing me you grace, your aggressive forgiveness you showed to David and all of your followers help me obey your command of love. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Danny Brock, LifeWay Westside