“He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.”
~ Proverbs 14:26
Hi James and Ellen,
Would you rather grow up in a home that has all kinds of opulence or would you rather grow up in a home that lacks amenities? Would you rather have grown up in a home about 3000 years ago or would you rather be growing up in the environs that you are living in today? Would you rather grow up as kids of a king and queen or would you rather grow up as kids of a plain old ordinary dad and ma? Solomon’s dad was David. David was the youngest of nine kids. When David was a kid, he shepherded his dad’s sheep. How would you like to have to shepherd sheep every day? David always had to watch out for a bear or lion – as bears and lions liked to include sheep in their diet. David went from one day being a sheepherder to the next day being anointed by Samuel to be the next king over God’s specially chosen guys and gals – who were the Israelite people group’s guys and gals. God had David go through a lot of hard life seasoning before He finally had David take over as king over the Israelite people group’s guys and gals. Because Saul was already the king over the Israelite people group’s guys and gals when David was anointed by Samuel, David had to wait until Saul was no longer around before becoming king over the Israelite people group’s guys and gals. David was patient. David was a song writer. David seemed have been committed to doing everything right – well, just about everything. David’s legacy has him being called a man of God. How would you like to have a dad whose legacy will be that he was patient, good at writing songs, wanting to do everything that what was right and who your Heavenly Father blessed because of his spontaneous, impulsive praise of and thanks towards Him for giving Him all the credit for whatever? Solomon was the second kid who was born to David and Bathsheba. How would you like it if your dad had at least seven other wives and . . . it was okay – sort of, when Solomon was alive for guys to have more than one wife. When Solomon became an adult and had become king over the Israelite people group’s guys and gals, Solomon went way overboard accumulating wives and concubines.
Solomon’s legacy has him writing over 3000 proverbs and over 1000 songs. Solomon’s legacy also has him asking your Father God for wisdom when your Father God specifically told Solomon to pick what he wanted as a special lifetime gift. Solomon probably was as wise – if not wiser, than any other guy who has ever lived and who will ever live on planet Earth. Solomon’s legacy has him building the greatest and richest empire over the largest land area that the country of Israel can look back on to ever having over their country’s long history. How would you like to be living today the life that Solomon lived as a kid? Solomon’s legacy has Solomon beginning well but not finishing well. Solomon put himself on the slippery slope towards the direction of perdition when he put accumulating power, wealth and wives and concubines over pursuing living a God-centered life. Proverbs 14 is another accumulation of proverbs that were Solomon inspired. Solomon’s proverbs often compared a fool with a wise man. Solomon had at one time a genuine understanding of the importance and value of having a dad who really cared for him. Verse 26 says “He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.” Solomon knew that a godly dad would result in the dad – along with his kids, being blessed by the LORD. What Solomon knew; Solomon did not do well living it out in front of his kids
Your grandpaa’s grandma and grandpa on his ma’s side of his family raised thirteen kids. Your grandpaa’s grandpa on his ma’s side of his family died when he was a young kid. Your grandpaa’s grandpa on his ma’s side of the family was adopted after his dad and ma died. Your grandpaa’s grandma on his ma’s side of the family was an only kid. Your grandpaa does not know if his grandma on his ma’s side of the family ever worked. Your grandpaa’s grandpa on his ma’s side of the family was a rural mail carrier. Your grandpaa’s grandpa on his ma’s side of the family earned enough money delivering mail to guys and gals who lived in the country around Volga, South Dakota to raise his thirteen kids. In spite of having his dad and ma die when he was a young kid, your grandpaa’s grandpa on his ma’s side of the family was a godly dad. When the Christian Reformed Church in Volga, South Dakota began to have Sunday School classes, your grandpaa’s grandpa on his ma’s side of the family was one of two guys who were responsible for getting Sunday School classes started in the Volga Christian Reformed Church. One of the things that your grandpaa’s grandpa on his ma’s side of the family taught his kids to do was to always give a money offering during each church service and during Sunday School. When your grandpaa was a kid, your grandpaa had to go to two church services – a morning service and an afternoon service, every single Sunday along with having to go to Sunday School after the afternoon Sunday service. Your grandpaa’s grandpa on his ma’s side of the family would set out two nickels and one penny for each one of his kids each Sunday. Each kid was to put a nickel in the collection plate that was passed around during each service and the penny in the collection plate that was passed around during the Sunday School class time. Your grandpaa’s grandpa on his ma’s side of the family would have two of his kids become Christian Reformed Church pastors. Your grandpaa’s grandpa on his ma’s side of the family now has several grandkids who are pastors plus your grandpaa has been a missionary. How would you have liked to have been a kid on your grandpaa’s ma’s side of the family? Your grandpaa knows that what his ma was taught by her dad when she was a kid is what is leading her six kids being impelled today to honor and bless her in her home.
Proverbs 14 (559)