1 Kings 1: Success and Successors

²⁹ The king then took an oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, ³⁰ I will surely carry out this very day what I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.” -1 Kings 1:29-30

David had lived a successful life. A military leader and later king, God had led him on an incredible journey as a “man after God’s own heart.”

At the end of his life, he faced the reality of needing to choose a successor. The plan had already been made, but making it reality was a more difficult matter. Only when Adonijah sought to take the throne did David step forward to officially name Solomon as king.

This interesting drama that opens 1 Kings offers tremendous insight for us today. A successful life does not guarantee a successful legacy. To extend influence beyond our own lifetime requires an investment in the lives of others. This investment even includes identifying and empowering those who will serve in our footsteps. This is true whether of a parent to a child, a manager to an employee, or from one ministry leader to another.

God entrusts each of us with a certain level of influence. When our time nears completion, it is both wise and necessary to work toward our own replacement. Who is the successor you need to invest in today?

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Dillon Burroughs is the author and coauthor of numerous books and is handwriting a copy of all 31,173 verses of the Bible at HolyWritProject.com. Find out more about Dillon at Facebook.com/readdB or readdB.com.