1 kings 2: 3-4: Keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, so that the Lord may carry out His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons are careful of their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'

Observe the word that is used here. KEEP the charge of the Lord your God. 

The Hebrew word is Shamar. This means he needs to be Proactive/quick/offensive as well as defensive/ protect/ take immediate action/ safeguard.

The game's name on this journey is the need to be Intentional in processing our steps towards change for its desired outcome. What do I mean?

It comprises four components

1. We do or, let's say, we act out.

2. We then process what we did and how it turned out.

3. We then learn or re-learn or sometimes unlearn

4. Finally, we go out and live our life.

We need to intentionally act, process, learn and then do it again and process it again to learn and do it again. This will bring about careful change in our lives. This is a crucial cycle we must follow for this change to occur.

We have to be careful about the aim syndrome. What is that? 

We take an arrow, set it in the bow and then we aim and aim and aim and aim and aim and aim and aim, but we never shoot. Then what should we do? We should take an arrow, set it in the bow, aim and immediately shoot and then retake aim. Then at least, we would know how far we have missed the mark.

Any of us trying to make this careful change must live lives intentionally and never let go of the process. Again, it is not just about what we process or talk about. It is what we do with what we process.

We talked about careful change and how to bring about that change. Change cannot sustain if we do not anchor that change in the promises of the heavenly father. But notice what the wise king David says after charging his son to keep the charge of the Lord. He focuses on the promise of the Lord to David. The promise here that King David was reminding Solomon was that God would be faithful to all his descendants and the throne of David would not lack any man for the throne.

_God's promises are like the stars. The darker the night, the brighter they shine. _ Unknown.

There are three characteristics of a promise from God.When God gives us a promise, it is not for us to bring it to pass or make it happen. It is His heart to fulfil the promise with or without our involvement. - He fulfils.

When God gives a promise, we might forget it over some time, but our faithful heavenly father will and can never forget the promise. - He remembers.

When God gives us a promise, He shows us that the given promise is to sustain us during those difficult dark moments in our lives. - He sustains 

Ahh… that is why King David, at this crucial talk with his son, reminds him of the promise Yahweh had made for him.