Tuesday - Friday 12-15-09 - 12-18-09

Quick recap of devotions for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

~ Tuesday ~

1 Kings 3:28 "And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment."

As I read this the thought came: "Do I have godly wisdom". Honestly no I don't. However God has blessed me with the opportunity and privilage to be around men of God who truly have godly wisdom. I need spend more time with them, asking them questions gleaning from the wisdom that God has given them. I can look back and see the times where I have wasted amazing opportunities to glean and learn from godly men.

I need to be on the look out for opportunities to learn from men of God who have godly wisdom. Instead of barging head-first thinking I have all the answers I need to seek counsel from those who have wisdom.

~ Wednesday ~

1 Kings 8:22 & 54 "And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:" vs. 54 "And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven."

I want us to note in vs. 22 that Solomon began his prayer standing, yet when he finishes praying in vs. 54 he was on his knees. As you read in chapter 8 you will find that Solomons prayer is asking God to restore Israel if (rather when) they sin against him. There is much we could go into here but for the sake of time let me put it briefly.

When was the last time the reality of my sin drove me to my knees?

When was the last time the grossness of my sin drove me to my knees before a holy God?

When was the last time my inability to save myself driven me to my knees?

I think that as Solomon prayed and began playing scenarios through his mind, the harshness of sin began to hit him. He realized just how unholy we are and how holy, righteous, and loving God is.

~ Thursday ~

1 Kings 11:14 & 16 "For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father." vs. 16 "And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father."

How dangerous it is to not have heart that is perfect with the Lord. How dangerous it is to not go fully after the Lord. Here we see Solomon perhaps the wisest man to ever live and yet according to verse 16 Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord. All of the "good" things Solomon did ultimately didn't matter, because his heart was not perfect with the Lord.

It is not enough to appear to seek after God, or seek after him half-heartedly. I can look back and see how I "went not fully after the Lord", my heart was turned away from God it was caught up in my lusts and desires for the things of this world. These verses really helped me to take stock and make sure that I am going fully after the Lord.

Real quickly I want to look at the danger of not having a perfect heart with the Lord, the danger of not going fully after the Lord. Here is the danger that we find in verse 14: "His heart (turned away) after other gods." How deadly this sin of not having a perfect heart that is set on God is. Oh may my heart never turn from fully seeking after God, may I have a perfect heart before the Lord my God.

~ Friday ~

1 Kings 13:24 "And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase."

To bring you up to speed on this story: Here God had commanded a man of God to prophecy to the king and return home without eating or drinking. The man refused the kings offer to be rewarded and to dine with him. On his way home though he was deceived by an old prophet who claimed to have seen an angle who told him to invite this man of God to eat and drink with him. The man of God went to the old prophets house and ate and drank with him. He left there and went to go back home, God had a lion kill him for disobeying.

When God gives me a command he really does intend for us to keep it, it is not just a suggestion. So often though it seems as if that is what I do, I do not take seriously what God has called me to do.

May I keep from not taking to heart what God calls me to. May I seek to obey with all that I have. May my heart be perfect before the Lord.

May the Lord make his face to shine upon you,

Monday 12-14-09

2 Samuel 19:1-2

1 ¶ And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.

2 And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son.

As I read these verse the love that David had for Absalom becomes very evident. There is not doubt that David loved Absalom very much.

It struck me though, I mean I knew that Absalom was David's son yet Absalom was the son who had murdered another one of David's son, Absalom was the son who had attempted to usurp the kingdom, Absalom was the son who would have killed David in order to become king.

Yet through all of that David loved Absalom. Verse two says that "victory was turned into mourning" what seemed glorious for the people in that a enemy to the kingdom was defeated was a great tragedy for King David.

As I thought about how much King David loved his son, even though Absalom caused him much grief. It brought to mind how much more God loves me, oh how I have cause him grief and pain, yet God became a man (what a wondrous thought in and of it's self) and hung on a cross and died for me.

How David's love for Absalom pales in comparison to the love that God has and is.

Love through the infallible Christ Jesus,

Monday 111-20-09

1 Samuel 7:3 ¶ And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

Wow, what a great verse! I just want to pull out a couple things that really stood out to me.

"If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts"

Here the children of Israel have forsaken the Lord, they have gone after "strange gods". They must now forsake these "strange gods" and with their whole hearts return unto the Lord.

They must needs to prepare their hearts, or put the Lord overall so that there is no room for 'second place' in their hearts and lives.

They needed to "serve him only", so crucial to not only return to the Lord with all their hearts but to continue to seek him by serving him.

Finally it is the Lord who is going to deliver them out of the hands of the Philistines. I will never rely or trust on Christ if I think that I have some capability to deliver myself. I am nothing, I have no ability to flee from temptation, I have no ability to live a Christ honoring life, I have no ability to preach the gospel, however I can do all these things not by own power but God who actually does them through me.

Seek first the kingdom of God,