ESOCS Devotional 2 October 2023 – A Charge for a Pleasing Service Unto God
MEMORY VERSE: “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 forever.”
TEXT:1 CHRONICLE 28:1–10 (KJV)
David assembled at Jerusalem all the leaders of Israel and of the tribes, the officers of the divisions that served the king in courses, and those over thousands and hundreds, and the stewards over all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, with the palace officers, the mighty men, and all the mighty warriors.
2 Then David the king rose to his feet and said, Hear me, my brethren and my people. I myself intended to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, as a footstool for our God, and I prepared materials for the building.
3 But God said to me, You shall not build a house for My Name [and Presence], because you have been a man of war and have shed blood.
4 However, the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me before all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever. For He chose Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah he chose the house of my father; and among the sons of my father He was pleased to make me king over all Israel;
5 And of all my sons, for the Lord has given me many sons, He has chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.
6 And He said to me, Solomon your son shall build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his father.
7 I will establish his kingdom forever if he loyally and continuously obeys My commandments and My ordinances, as he does today.
8 Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, keep and seek [to be familiar with] all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever.
9 And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father [have personal knowledge of Him, be acquainted with, and understand Him; appreciate, heed, and cherish Him] and serve Him with a blameless heart and a willing mind. For the Lord searches all hearts and minds and understands all the wanderings of the thoughts. If you seek Him [inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him as your first and vital necessity] you will find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever!
10 Take heed now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong and do it!
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
Serving God is an honourable venture. It can be very exciting, challenging and demanding a times. It can be sacrificial and costing with no obvious benefits. Truly, it can be beneficial and rewarding when it is pleasing to God. In all, the most rewarding experience in serving God is when it is pleasing to God.
Therefore, a charge to serve God in a pleasing way is to guide, instruct and exhort on the best practice where serving God is concerned. This is putting ourselves in a position where we would be able to hear God say to us “… well, thou good servant: …” (Luke 19:17).
In our text for the day, King David revealed that God has chosen his son Solomon to be king after him and to build the temple for God. As a veteran servant of God he revealed to Solomon from his experience the things required to serve God acceptably. He used those things to charge him (Solomon) so that he can be a successful servant likewise.
However, before we go into the requirements, we need to understand that profitable service goes with purpose. In your service to God do not imitate purpose otherwise you may miss the mark. For instance, King David was a man of war but Solomon was chosen to build the temple. Find out where God called you to serve Him. The requirements revealed in the charge of King David to Solomon are fundamental requirements to serve God acceptably and successfully regardless of purpose. Now, the charge according to King David.
Know thou the God of thy father: Without the knowledge of God it is impossible to serve Him acceptably. This is because knowledge leads to faith in God and without faith it is impossible to please Him (Heb. 11:6). God is not so much concerned with activities but with service rendered according to His will. This was revealed about Lord Jesus Christ who is our perfect example in Psalm 40: 6 – 8 “sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me. I delight to do thy will, O my God: they law is within my heart.”
- How would you rather serve Him? Pleasingly?
- Father by your Spirit, help me to know you that I may serve you acceptably. Amen.
FURTHER READING: 2 Chronicle 11:1 – 15; Esther 2:5 – 18; Luke 23:13–43
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ESOCS Devotional 2 October 2023
