1 Chronicles 28:9 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 LORD searcheth 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 Take heed now; for the LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.
Introductory Thoughts
God has a specific calling on the life of each person. For Solomon, a large part of that calling was the call “to build an house for the sanctuary” (1 Chronicles 28:10). Solomon’s father David had the desire to build the Lord an house, but the Lord reserved that work for Solomon. As king David prepared to pass the responsibility of the kingdom to his son, he encouraged Solomon to follow the Lord and to serve Him with a perfect heart. Concerning the building of the temple, David admonished Solomon to “be strong, and do it” (1 Chronicles 28:10). Although each believer has his own calling from God, these words are a wonderful admonition to all.
Devotional Thoughts
• (For children): God encouraged Joshua to take the lead after Moses (Joshua 1:5-9). Azariah encouraged Asa to make changes (2 Chronicles 15:1-2, 7-8). Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people to finish the temple (Haggai 2:1-4; Zechariah 8:9; Ezra 6:14).
• (For everyone): What are some great works the Lord called men to do? How did each of those responsible for the work require God’s strength to complete the task?
• What has the Lord asked you to do? Have you heeded the admonition to “be strong, and do it” (1 Chronicles 28:10)? Have you failed to use God’s strength to do God’s work?
Prayer Thoughts
• Ask God to help you obey His calling.
• Thank the Lord for giving you the strength to do His work.
SONG: GOD LEADS US ALONG