1 Kings 3:6 (NIV) Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.”

Solomon had a now very well-known encounter with God where the Lord told him, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."  As we now know, Solomon asked for wisdom to govern God's people and the Lord was so pleased that He gave him more wisdom than anyone ever had and gave him riches as well. But before that, Solomon opened up his conversation with God by speaking about his father, David. He mentioned that his father was faithful to the Lord and righteous and upright in heart. He even credited David's faithfulness for his being able to be in the position to be king. Keep in mind that Solomon was talking to God, and that he knew that He knows all things. In other words, he wasn't just speaking meaningless words to start a conversation but was talking from his heart, describing how he saw his father behind closed doors.

What an awesome example of the testimony that someone can have that will glorify God when you remain faithful to the Lord and love and serve Him with all of your heart. David was probably not even conscious of the fact that his son, starting from when he was young, was watching him. He was watching when David would pray and cry out to God. He was watching when David encountered trouble and would immediately run to the Lord for help. He was watching when David would seek God's advice about all kinds of situations and things. He was watching his father as he would genuinely express his love of God over and over and perhaps watched as his father wrote and then sang the psalms that we read and are blessed by today. What a legacy David left behind. The only legacy that is worth leaving behind is the legacy of having demonstrated a life lived in submission to Almighty God and one that honored the Lord at every turn. Obviously, Solomon was not only blessed by what he saw, but was also moved and motivated by it.

Wouldn't it be awesome if we can demonstrate that same kind of attitude about God to others in our private lives? Do you know or ever wonder how those closest to you view you? Do they see something in you that they admiringly want to duplicate in their own lives? The example of a sincere and genuine life lived in obedience, honor and love of God is powerful, especially when it is done behind closed doors when you don't think that anyone is watching you. The fact is that there usually are people watching you when you don't even know it, and if they find you living an upright, righteous life in secret, it will impact their lives in a very real way. Solomon's life was affected by the integrity of his father's devotion to God. Ask God to give you the strength to live upright before Him so that your life will impact those closest to you and many others as well in their relationship with the Lord because of your example behind the scenes.

Pastor Joey Vazquez