Then Solomon said, “My father, David, wanted to build this Temple to honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. But the Lord told him, ‘You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name. Your intention is good, but you are not the one to do it. One of your own sons will build the Temple to honor me.’
“And now the Lord has fulfilled the promise he made, for I have become king in my father’s place, and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised. I have built this Temple to honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.” 1 Kings 8:17-20
My Dad’s birthday was Monday (he passed away 14 years ago). He was a Navy guy. He served in the latter years of World War II out at Pearl Harbor. Later when he moved up to Detroit, he became a union guy. He worked for Ford Motor Company for years building cars until one day, he decided to go into business on his own. He became one of the first minority franchisees for Burger King in the 70s (Trust me. I’ve heard enough ‘Have It Your Way’ jokes for a lifetime). But before all of that, he was a man of God. A gentleman’s gentlemen who I admire to this day. It is funny how the person you are is often driven by the goodness of your parent or role model. A few weeks ago, I wrote about how my decision to follow God helped me to have a conversation with my granddaughter about Him. It was fun to have, but as I have learned, there was much more to the story. As you can see, the foundation had been set long before I had even known it existed. While my foundation was set by Jesus Christ, it was built on the legacy my father started. I am so grateful to him for that.
God’s plan is to build a legacy in our lives that honors Him. As I studied a bit more about Solomon, I read about his building a temple for God. I was unaware of how his legacy was heavily dependent on what David had done. A few weeks ago, my focus was on Solomon’s selflessness serving the people of Israel and not his own personal desires. In today’s verses, he wanted to give honor to God but not just for his doing. He wished to honor what his father, King David, wanted. In doing this, Solomon furthered the legacy of not only David but also his own. We all should be wary of the footsteps that we are taking. Most are for our own mission, but others are to give honor to those who have led the path forward. My children may not understand why are push them like I do, but I remind them of where we are today because of the love and sacrifices of my parents. To parallel that to our own story with God, we might have known who God was back when we were little. But as we grew in our relationships with Him, we understood how patient He was with us. How forgiving He was when we failed time and time again. We can now relate to what it means when someone says God is love. As written in 1 Corinthians 13:7, “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” That is how hope becomes reality, and His love for us allows our life to become a legacy for others.
Kingdom building occurs when we give up our wants for what God wants. Each time I submit to Him in a relationship, He makes it better. How often things do not go our way because it was something we personally wanted but not what God wanted? God is a gracious God of abundance. If we know this, why would we ever be lacking for anything? Let us focus on what God wants and walk in His footsteps so that He not only receives the glory but also builds something that lasts beyond ourselves. What Kingdom building has God been prompting you to do? How can you substitute your wants for what God wants? My prayer is that God directs us to pick up the torch (or cross) to build a greater legacy for Him. Amen, and ‘thanks Dad.’ 😊
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