After one of David’s other sons tried to promote himself to become king, King David made the transition to his anointed son, Solomon. When David had Solomon make his first appearance as king, Benaiah was one of the chosen people to go with him. Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was considered one of David’s Mighty Men and King David’s bodyguard. He wasn’t named in the same breath as David’s top three men, but his fame matched their fame. He excelled in his work and was faithful to King David. He was the man who went down into a pit to kill a lion on a snowy day. He fought Israel’s enemies and won. When the time came for Solomon to be anointed as the next king, Benaiah was in close proximity to David, so he had the opportunity to participate in David handing his kingdom off to his son. While he had been faithfully serving God, the transition of the throne from David to his son Solomon opened up a new door. A bodyguard would have needed to be loyal, honest, trustworthy, and present. Solomon would have known Benaiah and seen how he treated his father. In 1 Kings 2, Solomon didn’t just keep Benaiah as his bodyguard; he appointed Benaiah as head of his army. Benaiah’s faithful presence proved to be a prerequisite for a promotion into his new position.

Faithfulness can be overlooked in our fast-paced society.  We can become more interested in the newest fad or overnight successes rather than being consistently faithful over the years. You may be standing by someone else who was promoted at work, bought that new house, or received instant recognition for their contribution. However, in God’s economy, faithfulness is not overlooked, because God uses our faithfulness in one season to position us for the next season. He is more interested in our follow-through than our fame. Your choice to honor God and be faithful where he has placed you will not return void. Pursue what God has called you to today, and you will be surprised as you let God have His way tomorrow. Benaiah was doing his job with excellence. When Solomon needed someone to step up, Benaiah was a natural fit. If you have become discouraged with being consistently faithful, remember that God sees you, and He counts every contribution that may go unnoticed by others.