When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses.” (1 Kings 2:1-3a)
A person’s final words are of great interest to me because they reveal what is most important to the person just as David’s final words to Solomon revealed what was most important to him in life. Though the instructions seem three-fold (be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord requires), they’re really one and the same: walk in obedience to God.
As David looked back on his life, he came to the realization that the blessing he experienced was as a result of walking in obedience to the Lord. Any man (or person) who is strong will walk in a similar way. These final words were actually a reflection of the life that David lived.
When you reach your death bed, what kind of advice will you have to give? Will you look back at a life well-lived and realize that God’s blessing has existed on the path down which you walked? Or will you look at your life and realize all of the things you could have and perhaps should have done? What will your death bed advice be?
My hope is that I can look back at my life and see my faithfulness to the Lord’s path – my continual walking in obedience to His ways. I hope that I can encourage those who come after me to walk in the same way – trusting that the Lord’s blessings exist on that path.
Father, I want to live my life with the end in mind. When I get to my final hours, I want to be able to look back and encourage people to walk down a path of faithfulness to You. Help me to walk down that path even now; let me be pleased to live to bring You glory.
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