Trusting My God

This morning, I read, “David also said to Solomon his son, ‘Be strong and courageous, and the work. 

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.’” - 1 Chronicles 28:20

If you don’t know, Solomon, David’s son, is about to become king and David, the current king, is giving him a pep-talk.

Most of us are familiar with similar encouragements from the scriptures. For example, the phrase ‘be strong and courageous’ is used elsewhere as well was the phrase ‘do not be afraid or discouraged.’

But what caught my eye about this scripture was David’s clarification to his son that I italicized in the scripture — ‘my God.’ Why does David say this? Is it not enough to claim that God is God and that’s all there is to it? Why is Solomon being reminded that the Lord God is David’s God?

Could it be because David was proud of his association with this God? When I read this, it was as if David was saying to Solomon, “Do you remember the stories of when I faced Goliath? Or how about when I screwed up and God still took me back? What about the promises that God made to me? This God is with you! This same God that has given me the courage to do these things will give you that same courage!”

Surely, Solomon knew his dad’s accomplishments. And here his dad is, passing those on to his son, claiming that they will all be done though his son by the power of his God. 

This morning, I wonder if I can claim that same thing. Can I tell others that the way I trust my God should merit their own trust in my God? In other words, does the way I trust my God produce in other people the same trust in my God?

Does your trust for God reach beyond yourself and prompt others to follow suit? What if you could say to a doubting person, “you can trust Jesus, my Jesus.”