Show Yourself a Man

Scripture:

I Kings 2:2-3 "I am going the way of all the earth.  Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man.  Keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn".

Observation:

David was dying and gave this charge to his son Solomon.  As he was giving his kingdom to Solomon, David told him to show himself a man, then described what a man does.  He said that a man keeps the charge, the laws, decrees, commands, etc.of the Lord and follows the Lord wherever He leads.  He basically tells him that real men serve God.

Application:

The idea here is that real men serve God.  Real men follow God's ways instead of their own.  Real men care more about what God thinks than about what anyone else thinks.  We must pursue the Lord first and foremost, then the blessing of God will follow.  Showing yourself a man isn't by lifting more weights than someone else, defeating more enemies than someone else, etc. The real measure of a man is, can he follow God without reservation?

Prayer:

Lord, let me be a real man!  Help me to stand up for You at all times and to care more about Your will than my own.  Help me to put You first in everything and you worship You with all my heart.  You are worthy to have real men follow You.

Your Son,
Jeff