Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“The king swore, saying, ‘As the Lord lives, who has saved my life from every adversity, as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Your son Solomon shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ so will I do this day.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, October 30, 2020
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
A promise is a promise. King David, not long for the world, bucks the norms for royal succession by naming Solomon his heir, rather than Solomon’s older brothers. (David, by the way, had a lot of children by a lot of women. Just sayin’.) He is king, after all, and can pick anyone he wants to succeed him. And even though there are lots of folks ahead of Solomon in line for the throne, God’s prophet, Nathan, has it on good authority that Solomon is the one God wants. So that’s that. And believe me, a lot of people were unhappy with David’s decision.
We all find ourselves having to make unpopular decisions because of priorities we’ve set and promises we’ve made. It can be especially challenging to try to change accepted norms within faith communities that create unwelcoming environments for newcomers, or impede God’s call to working for justice in creation and the world. Like David and Solomon, we are bound to run up against those who are unhappy with such efforts. The hope is that we’re prayerful and discerning enough in the commitments we make, so that we can stand by them in the face of push-back.
What’s the hardest leadership decision I’ve had to make?
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