Solomon Begins His Reign

The church needs real men.
Knowledge or wisdom -- which will you seek after?

What's a real man? Have you seen any lately? (Maybe you did and just didn't catch on that you did!)

A real man is, of course, a male of the species. But he is much more than that. A real man is, like David, "after God's own heart." So let's see how David put it to his son Solomon: "shew thyself a man; And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies" (1 Kings 2:2,3).

Are there many men like this in your congregation? If you're a (young) man, does this describe you?

God wants every one of His men to know where they stand and to stand there firmly and unflinchingly...as long as they are standing where He wants them to stand. Some men (and women, too, for that matter) stand where they stand and will not compromise from that position one little bit because it is their position. Their stand has nothing to do with whether or not it is God's position. Contrariwise, God wants us to stand on the Rock and not move from there, because it is the Rock. Period.

Young ladies, please don't feel left out as I direct myself particularly to the young fellows just now. Believe me, you stand to benefit very directly if men will be real men. Besides, these words to the fellows may well be useful to you as well...at least in knowing how to measure real manhood.

Keep the charge. Find in the Scriptures the commands that go to men in particular. Keep them. Have you been given specific responsibilities and duties at home, at school, in the church? Fulfill them. Sooner or later, these responsibilities will include various facets of leadership. Lead! Keep this important truth very much in the forefront: All men have received a charge, not just the ordained men. Be strong and very courageous. May the Lord (and the rest of us) depend on you?

Walk in His ways. What would God say? What would God think? Where would God go? What would God do? You live that way. Don't follow the ways that seem right to a man; walk in the ways that are right to God. Whether it's business or home, church or community, services or board meetings, walk in His ways! That means being a thinker and a contributor, a doer and an asset. Real men don't just warm their chairs with their passive bodies or heat the air with their overactive mouths and zeal; they think and they contribute. And they do so because they walk in His ways. Be strong and very courageous. May we all (including God) depend on you?

Keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies. Real men see the expressions of God's will as things to be kept...carefully, zealously, faithfully, earnestly, joyfully. Real men don't see God's commandments as instructions to be avoided when possible. Real men delight themselves in doing His will! Real men make no excuse for disobedience and allow no room for justifying carelessness and laxness with God's Word and will. Be strong and very courageous. May we depend...?