If today was your last day on earth… What are the things that you would want to tell your loved ones? Lessons From David’s Last Words 1 Kings 2:1-3  1. Take Courage and Be Obedient  According to David, Solomon will only “be strong” and a “man” if he keeps the Mosaic covenant. He must take great pains to “observe” what God demands. This observing of God’s standards should grow into a lifestyle, a “walking” in the ways of the Lord.  As Solomon steeped himself in and obeyed the Word, he would have the knowledge and courage to act according to God’s will. Our world tells us it is sexy to date the bad boy, but can we normalize that manly men are men that are obedient to the Lord and his commands. Men take care of their families and teach and show them the ways of the Lord. Boys are those who chase earthly desires. 1 Kings 2:4  2. Obedience Brings Blessing Through painful experience and discipline, David learned that true success and God’s blessing depended on being faithful to God, his Word, and his plans. For this reason, David was deeply concerned that Solomon remained obedient and faithful to God. These words hark back to 2 Samuel 7:12–13 and point to Solomon’s responsibilities in the matter of the Davidic covenant. This involves primarily a mental and spiritual attitude with a wholehearted devotion to God. Though the covenant is unconditional with respect to its ultimate goal of bringing in the Messiah from the line of David, each king must heed God’s Word from the heart if he experiences the blessing of God. We want to go through all the trouble of proving how the Bible accepts our bad behavior, but God wants us to spend our efforts making sure that our lives align with his word. Our job as Christ's Followers is to ensure our lives align with his word, not justify our bad behavior. 1 Kings 2:8-9 3. Bitterness Is A Burden To Your Family Sadly, David’s final instructions to Solomon included something unforgiving and vengeful. David himself had sworn not to harm Shimei (2Sa 19:23). He indirectly breaks that promise by telling Solomon to do evil to Shimei. Although Shimei may have deserved punishment, this unforgiving act of revenge cannot be wholly justified as pleasing to God. Bitterness is something that can destroy what God has for your lives.  Root systems and their destruction, same is true with a root of bitterness in our hearts. Bitterness in our hearts will keep God from truly blessing us. What are our transformational moments? Are you aligning your heart with God’s will? Are you trying to justify bad behavior? Do you need to forgive someone today?