from father to son

Then David said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished."
1 Chronicles 28:20

David's passion to build a temple for the worship of the Lord in Jerusalem is passed on to his son Solomon with this charge. And the building of the temple would be Solomon's great work. Once completed, it would define the worship of the Lord for the Jews for centuries. Even though it no longer stands, it is still a focal point for the worship of the LORD among devout Jews. David's passion is still something talked about in the world today!

The charge to Solomon is a call to fearless service. It was a daunting task to take the materials provided by David, and the architectural drawings given to Solomon by his father, and turn them into an actual temple of stone, wood, bronze, and gold. That is why David's encouragement to his son included the reminder that God's presence and power would be with him in the work of building the temple. Solomon could do this because God would do it through him.

When we are willing to be used by God, there is no limit to what God can do to bring glory for Himself. When we insist on gaining notice solely for self, that's when the difficulties really come. Solomon's life was amazingly powerful when he followed the words of his father's charge to him. He failed miserably when he switched his focus to his own fame as king. The wisdom of David's words proved sadly true in the life of his son.