May 30

In 1 Kings 2, David gives his final charge to Solomon:  “Be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires.” (1 Kings 2:2–3) It’s a father’s heartfelt instruction, grounded in faithfulness to God’s Word. Solomon is stepping into leadership, and David urges him not to lead by strength alone but by obedience to God.

That theme of wholehearted devotion continues in 1 Chronicles 29, where David leads a national offering for the temple. The people give willingly, and David praises God for everything—his prayer is full of humility: “Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand.” (1 Chronicles 29:14) David knew something crucial: even our ability to give, serve, and obey comes from God’s grace.

But this truth feels especially needed when we move into Romans 7, where Paul gives a brutally honest account of the inner struggle all believers face: “I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:19)

We’ve all been there. Our hearts want to serve God, but our flesh is weak. We fall short. We try harder. We get discouraged. Yet Paul ends this chapter with a triumphant cry: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24–25)

Here's the hope:  our faithfulness doesn’t rest on our willpower—it rests on God’s grace. Like Solomon, we’re called to obedience. Like David, we offer what we have. But like Paul, we know we need a Savior every single day.

Jesus is our rescue. His Spirit empowers us to do what we cannot do on our own.

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