Do Well In Everything And Everyplace Series

Theme: “Do well in everything and everyplace”

Text: 1 Kings 2:1-4, 46

Introduction

How was your 2021? and What do you expect in 2022? For some, the year 2021 could have brought news on death, ailments, sickness, failures, hardships, and vulnerability. It could have been days of hopelessness and months of anxiety for some. it could have been a year of unmet expectations, disappointments, waiting for a long duration, and yet to realize what you want for yourself, for your children and grandchildren.

My dear brothers and sisters, here is a word from the Lord. I was praying a month ago while I was preparing the Intouch for Jan 2022. The word of the Lord came to me as inspiration. It is a word for wellbeing, a word for happiness and success. This word is the continuation of the promise God has given you. I call you to trust in him and believe in his word, move forward with these words of blessings.

The Lord promises that you will ‘do well in everything and everyplace’ (I Kings 2:2). I would like to quote from three different versions about this sentence: Amplified Bible puts “you may do wisely and PROSPER IN ALL THAT YOU DO and wherever you turn.” The Century Bible translates “In this way, you will SUCCEED IN WHATEVER YOU DO and wherever you go.” And the VOICE Bible scripts “you will be successful in everything you do NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE.”

God promises that your success and prosperity are not based on any human mercies, their favour, not on natural environments but purely God’s grace and his favour. The promise is you will succeed in whatever you do, and wherever you turn, wherever you go, and wherever you are.

God promises to be with you in your present and your future but the prerequisite is Obedience. The prosperity is not because of your intelligence, skills, talents, and wisdom but by absolute obedience to the Word of God. I will deal with this more in the second point of our meditation.

Please come along with me to know what King David told King Solomon and advised him, 1 Kings 1:14 has three things for a successful life, to prosper in your business, to grow in your profession, to have more intelligence, and to grasp power during your class hours and in all your endeavours.

They are as follows:

1. Demonstrate your maturity,

2. Devote yourselves to the Laws of the Lord God, and

3. Destroy all that is evil in your kingdom

Then the Lord would establish your kingdom.

1. Demonstrate your Maturity (1 Kings 2:1-2)

Illustration:

Last wishes of a Man:

Before his death, a man handed over three envelopes to his wife and instructed her that she should open envelopes in the order of the serial numbers he had marked. He asked her to do exactly what was written in them.

The man died, his wife opened the envelops:

"The first envelope contained Rs. 10,000 with a note, 'Please use this money to buy a nice Coffin box'. So, she bought a casket with such a comfortable lining that he should rest very comfortably.

"The second envelope contained Rs. 25,000 with a note, 'Please use this for memorial service and provide biriyani'. She arranged with an excellent caterer good food to satisfy his soul.

"The third envelope contained Rs. 1, 00,000 with a note, 'Please use this to buy a nice stone. She went to Jewellery and bought a beautiful Diamond – (Adopted).

Now we read the last wish of King David. The death bed of David became a time of turbulence, trembling, and shaking to the house of Judah. There was confusion about who would take over the United Kingdom of Israelites. David had seven sons. Unfortunately, the firstborn Amnon was killed for sexually harassing his step-sister Tamar. Not anything great about his second son Kileab. But, his third son Absalom was killed by Joab in the battle. The fourth son Adonijah raised his head against his father David. About the fifth son Shephatiah and the sixth son Ithream, no records were found on them (2 Samuel 3:2-6).

With the given situation, Absalom and Amnon were dead, So, Adonijah had tried to overtake the Kingdom from David ignoring the Promise of God. Joab joined the treason against King David and Solomon. So, Bathsheba, mother of Solomon approached King David to secure the Kingdom for Solomon. So, after Solomon was crowned as new King to succeed Emperor David.

The age of Solomon at his accession as King was unknown but he was young and tender according to the scriptural references (1 Chronicles 22:5; 1 Chronicle 29:1). Solomon vouched for it through his prayer that he was a little child (1 Kings 3:7). Josephus, probably reflecting the tradition of his time, fixes Solomon’s age at fourteen. But the OT scholars fix his age at twenty.