I’ve heard people say from time to time that there’s really no instruction manual for parenthood. It’s one of the hardest jobs there is, next to marriage, and there seems to be no training manual or skills course. But really that’s not true.
We simply need to open the pages of our Bible and there we have the instruction we need. This morning I was reading King David’s final words to his son, Solomon. Here’s what David had to say.
“The time came for David to die, so he gave these commands to Solomon, 2 “I am about to die, like all men must. But you are growing stronger and becoming a man. 3 Now, carefully obey all the commands of the Lord your God. Carefully obey all his laws, commands, decisions, and agreements. Obey everything that is written in the Law of Moses. If you do this, you will be successful at whatever you do and wherever you go.” I Kings 2:1-4 ERV
Sound familiar? This was almost the exact same words that Moses told Joshua when he was about to die and Joshua was to take over as leader of the nation of Israel. This is the same advice that we need as parents.
Obey the Lord’s commands and we will be successful in whatever we do and wherever we go. This is great advice for us as parents. Here is one of my favorite group of verses from the Psalms.
“Thinking about your teachings gives me better understanding than my teachers, 100 and obeying your laws makes me wiser than those who have lived a long time. 101 I obey your word instead of following a way that leads to trouble. 102 You have been my teacher, and I won’t reject your instructions. 103 Your teachings are sweeter than honey.” Psalm 119:99-103 CEV
This is God’s promise to us. If we respect His word and follow His teachings we will be wise and stay out of trouble. King David lived these words, he knew the strength and wisdom to be drawn from the Lord. His final instruction to his son was to keep God’s word. It would be a source of strength to Solomon as well.
Solomon took his father’s words to heart. Here is the request he made to the Lord when his father died.
“Solomon answered, “You were very kind and loyal to your servant, my father David. He was faithful to you and lived a good, honest life. And you showed him the greatest kindness when you let his son take his place as king. 7 Lord my God, you have made me the king in my father’s place, but I am like a small child. I don’t have the wisdom I need to do what I must do. 8 I am your servant here among your chosen people. There are so many that they cannot be counted. 9 So I ask you to give me the wisdom to rule and judge them well and to help me know the difference between right and wrong. Without such great wisdom, it would be impossible to rule this great nation.”
10 The Lord was happy that Solomon asked for wisdom. ” I Kings 3:6-10 ERV
Solomon wanted wisdom more than anything else. He wanted direction – to know right from wrong. He wanted the ability to lead well. Isn’t that what we all want as parents and grandparents, the ability to lead well?
I found myself praying that this morning. “Lord, I want to lead well. I want to continue in my knowledge of You so that my children and grandchildren know Your word and the importance of making it first place in their lives.” This has been a prayer of dedication that I have prayed for many years, however, it all came back to me this morning as I was reflecting on our oldest granddaughter’s birthday.
Solomon, who wrote the book of Proverbs, made this statement in the first few verses of that book.
“These are the proverbs of Solomon, the son of David and king of Israel. 2 They will help you learn to be wise, to accept correction, and to understand wise sayings. 3 They will teach you to develop your mind in the right way. You will learn to do what is right and to be honest and fair. 4 These proverbs will make even those without education smart. They will teach young people what they need to know and how to use what they have learned. 5 Even the wise could become wiser by listening to these proverbs. They will gain understanding and learn to solve difficult problems. 6 These sayings will help you understand proverbs, stories with hidden meanings, words of the wise, and other difficult sayings.
7 Knowledge begins with fear and respect for the Lord, but stubborn fools hate wisdom and refuse to learn. 8 My son, listen to your father when he corrects you, and don’t ignore what your mother teaches you. 9 What you learn from your parents will bring you honor and respect, like a crown or a gold medal.” Proverbs 1:1-9 ERV
Neither David or Solomon were perfect parents. Matter of fact, there has only been one perfect parent, God, the Father. If we follow His instruction we will do a much better job than if we try to make it on our own.
“Father, it’s my desire to be like you. I want to love like You, teach like You, give counsel like You and have my words be Yours. It is my desire to reflect Your character in all I do.”