The NIV 365 Day Devotional
Like Father, Like Son
22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven 23 and said:
“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. 24 You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.
25 “Now Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me faithfully as you have done.’ 26 And now, God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true.
27 “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 28 Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. 29 May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.1 Kings 8:22-30
If you’re a dad, have you ever listened to your kids and thought, Oh man, that sounds just like me. Why did the kids have to copy that trait? Often, it seems that our children exhibit the very qualities we dislike most about ourselves. Negative behaviors easily transfer from us to our children. Kids typically seem to possess a strong dose of their parents—for better or for worse.
Are you the kind of father who wants to show your children the right way when it comes to matters of faith? Unfortunately, there is no secret formula to passing down a solid spiritual heritage to your children. They ultimately have to grab hold of faith on their own terms and in their own time. Or fall flat. Sometimes both.
While David stands among the great examples of dads found in Scripture, he certainly wasn’t perfect. He failed often as a king, as a man of God and as a father. He sinned in much the same way he served—with boldness and a wild heart. Yet in some glorious moments David got things right! That’s what his son Solomon wanted for himself.
When you lead your children along paths of faith, you want them to follow. Further, you hope that they will even discover how to push past your mistakes. However, none of that will happen if you keep quiet about what you believe. If you want your children to make decisions with godly faith in mind, you first need to speak boldly about where you stand.
In addition to talking about your faith, show your children how to serve their Maker joyfully. That involves staying close to the Lord yourself, and it requires put ting both your heart and your shoulder into everything you do.
God honors his promises and vows to remain faithful to his true servants. You and your children can be part of God’s big, bold plan. Model for your kids what it means to live a life of hope and love; teach them the value of putting God first; and pass to them the brightly burning torch of faith.
Taken from the NIV Men’s Devotional Bible.