The history of God’s people at this time displays their fickle hearts. They would worship God for a time and then go back to their selfish, evil ways. They would turn their hearts to God but not wholeheartedly. They would keep things in their life that would cause them to be distracted and disloyal. This pattern led to the eventual decline and exile of the people of Israel, as well as the destruction of Jerusalem.

Elisha sent a young prophet to anoint Jehu the next king of Israel. The call God had on Jehu’s life was to destroy the family of Ahab. Jehu accomplished what God had commanded him to do, also destroying every trace of Baal worship from Israel, but he did not destroy the gold calves at Bethel and Dan. Jehu did not obey the Law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with ALL his heart. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit (2 Kings 10:31).

King Jehoahaz did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and experienced the result of God’s anger. He prayed for the Lord’s help and the Lord heard his prayer. The Lord rescued Israel from their enemies and allowed them to live in peace again. BUT they continued to sin during the reign of King Jehoahaz and the next king – Jehoash. So God allowed the king of Aram to oppress Israel. But the Lord was gracious and merciful to the people of Israel, and they were not totally destroyed. He pitied them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (2 Kings 13:23).

It was during the reign of King Jehoahaz that Israel and Judah went to battle against one another again- brother against brother. After his death, King Jehoahaz’s son, Jeroboam II, ruled over Israel and King Amaziah’s 16-year-old son, Uzziah, ruled over Judah. Jeroboam II did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord (14:24) but Uzziah did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight except that he did not destroy ALL the pagan shrines, leaving opportunity for the nation to once more sin against God (15:4).

The fate of Israel:
Zechariah did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, refusing to turn away from sin. Shallum became the next king of Israel until he was assassinated by Menahem, who also did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. His son, Pekahiah, followed in his father’s evil footsteps and was assassinated by the son of the Commander of his army, Pekah. Pekah reigned for 20 years, until he was assassinated by Hoshea, who reigned for nine years until he was captured and imprisoned by the king of Assyria.

This disaster came upon the people of Israel because they worshiped other gods. They sinned against eh Lord their God, who had brought them safely out of Egypt and had rescued them from the power of Pharoah, the king of Egypt…The people of Israel had also secretly done many things that were not pleasing to the Lord their God…Yes, they worshiped idols, despite the Lord’s specific and repeated warnings.

Again and again the Lord had sent his prophets and seers to warn both Israel and Judah…But the Israelites would not listen. They were as stubborn as their ancestors who had refused to believe in the Lord their God. They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and they despised al his warnings. They worship worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves (2 Kings 17:7-15).

Because of their idolatry and rejection of God’s covenant, the Lord swept them away from his presence. He punished them by handing them over to their enemies, banishing Israel from the presence of the Lord. So Israel was exiled from the Promised Land to the land of Assyria (17:23).

God made it clear generation after generation – “Do not worship any other gods or bow before them or serve them or offer sacrifices to them. But worship only the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt with great strength and a powerful arm. Bow down to him alone and offer sacrifices only to him. Be careful at all times to obey the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands that he wrote for you. You must not worship other gods. Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship other gods. You must worship only the Lord your God. He is the one who will rescue you from all your enemies.” – 2 Kings 17:35b-39

Lord, would you please reveal anything I have kept in my life that is becoming a distraction from serving you with my whole heart? Shine your light on any traces of disloyalty or fickleness in my life. Fill my heart with the strong desire to obey and serve you wholeheartedly. Reveal anything in my life today that has taken priority over my covenant relationship with you.

Lord, I long to serve you with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength and with all my mind. I long to dwell in your presence and worship you – the God who has brought me out of my Egypt with great strength and a powerful arm. Today, I choose to worship you and only you! Amen.

The king of Aram had great admiration for the commander of his army, Naaman, because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories. But although Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy (2 Kings 5:1). Even though God was doing great things through Naaman, even though Naaman was a mighty warrior, there was still something in his life that he was suffering with – something he needed God to heal in order to be whole.

The king sent Naaman to Elisha for healing and Elisha sent a messenger out to Naaman with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.”

But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers in Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage (2 Kings 5:11-12).

How do we react when God tells us to do something we do not want to do?
Are there times when pride gets in the way of following God’s instructions?
What is my response when God answers my prayers but in a different way that I thought He would?

Naaman’s officers reasoned with him and Naaman went down to the muddy waters of the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, just as the man of God had instructed him. His skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child and he was healed! – (5:13-14)

This story reminds me of our own stubborn behavior. We want God to heal us or to make us whole but we have a preconceived idea of how He should do that. What God desires is obedience and complete surrender to whatever He tells us to do – for physical healing or spiritual cleansing.

Let’s dip into the words of King David as he asked God to cleanse him from his unrighteousness after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Let’s allow Psalm 51 to wash over us in complete surrender to the God who heals and makes us whole again. Perhaps God is doing mighty things in your life and through your life, but you need Him today to remind you that you have been forgiven and He has washed you clean.

Dip #1: Create in me a clean heart, O God. Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.

Dip #2: Create in me a clean heart, O God. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.

Dip #3: Create in me a clean heart, O God. Against you and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.

Dip #4: Create in me a clean heart, O God. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Oh give me back my joy again; you have broken me – now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt.

Dip #5: Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit with within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

Dip #6: Create in me a clean heart, O God. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and make me willing to obey you.

Dip #7: Create in me a clean heart, O God. You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repent heart, O God.

“Go in peace,” Elisha said. So Naaman started home again (2 Kings 5:19).

Elijah knew God was about to take him to heaven and so he asked his assistant Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” Without hesitation, Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double portion of your spirit and become your successor” (2 Kings 2:9). In other words, I want what you have! Elisha had been watching God work in a mighty way through Elijah and he desired for God to use him in the same way. And that is exactly what God did.

Elisha asked for a double portion of the Spirit and he was able to do miraculous things:

Just as Elijah had done, Elisha was able to part the waters of the Jordan River by striking it and walk across on dry land (2:14).

Elisha came to the city of Jericho, which did not have a clean water source, causing death and infertility as well as the land to be unproductive affecting their food supply. Elisha placed salt in the water supply and healed the water, breathing new life into the town (2:19-21).

Elisha heard from the Lord and told the Kings of Israel, Judah and Edom that God would provide water for their men and animals, as well as victory over the King of Moab. By having a double portion of the Spirit, Elisha was able to enter God’s presence and hear from God. God spoke through Elisha (3:15-18).

There was a widow of one of the prophets whose sons were about to be sold as slaves in order to repay her debt. Elisha was able to take the only thing she had left, a flask of olive oil, and make it a source of income for her by filling every available jar in the village with olive oil. By doing this, God provided for the widow and her two sons (4:1-7).

Elisha wanted to thank a woman who had been kind to him and provided him with a place to stay. He inquired as to what she needed and found out that she did not have a son. Elisha prophesied, “Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms,” and that is exactly what happened (4:8-17).

When that same boy died and his mother grieved heavily, Elisha was able to stretch himself out across the child and bring him back to life (4:18-35).

When poisonous fruit was mistakenly added to a stew being prepared for the prophets during a time of famine, Elisha was able to add flour to the stew and heal it so that the group would have something to eat (4:38-41).

During this same time of famine, Elisha was able to bless a sack of bread and have it feed a large group of people with food leftover – sounds familiar doesn’t it? (4:42-44)

When Naaman, the commander of the Aramean army, was struck with leprosy, Elisha instructed him to dip himself in the Jordan River seven times and Naaman was healed. Through his healing, Naaman came to believe in the one true God (5:1-15).

Elisha was able to retrieve a borrowed ax head that had fallen into the River by breaking a stick and throwing it in where the ax head had landed, causing it to float to the surface. To us that may seem like a small miracle but to the man who would have been unable to repay the one from whom he had borrowed the ax head, it was huge (6:1-7).

Elisha was able to save the Israelite army from ambush time and time again by revealing to them where the Aramean army was waiting to attack them. When the king sent his troops to seize Elisha, he was able to speak the word and the entire Aramean army was blinded. At the same time, he was able to speak the word and allow his servant to see the heavenly troops and chariots of fire surrounding them to protect them from their enemy (6:8-18).

So what stops us from asking God for a double portion of His Spirit so that God can use us in a mighty way in the lives of those around us? With the Spirit in our lives, dry ground can be walked upon, water can be healed, God can be heard, needs can be provided, wombs can be filled, the dead can be raised, the hungry can be fed, the sick can be healed, the lost can be found and enemies can be defeated.

I know I need a double portion of His Spirit just to make it through a full day of responsibilities, patience with my children, wisdom to make godly decisions, and the fruit of the Spirit to bear fruit through my life – but I want to do more than just make it through my day, I want to be used by God in a powerful way through the infilling of His Spirit. Today this is what I am going to ask of God – May I have a double portion please? Dear God, I want what you have!

“…the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chron. 20:15b). As I read through the accounts of the Kings of Judah and Israel, it is encouraging to me how often God fought the battle for His people. All they had to do was position themselves – committed fully to Him – and sit back and watch the victory.

When Judah realized that they were being attacked from the front and the rear, they cried out to the Lord for help. Then the priests blew the trumpets, and the men of Judah began to shout. At the sound of their battle cry, GOD DEFEATED Jeroboam and all Israel and routed them before Abijah and the army of Judah (2 Chronicles 13:14-15).

This is what the Lord says, “Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, march out against them…But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!” – 2 Chron. 20:15b-17).

But the Israelite army looked like two little flocks of goats in comparison to the vast Aramean forces that filled the countryside! Then the man of God went to the king of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord says: The Arameans have said, ‘The Lord is a god of the hills and not of the plains.’ So I will defeat this army for you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

The two armies camped opposite each other for seven days, and on the seventh day the battle began. The Israelites killed 100,000 Aramean foot soldiers in one day. The rest fled into the town of Aphek, but the wall fell on them and killed another 27,000. – (1 Kings 20:27b-30a).

Some time later, however, King Ben-hadad of Aram mustered his entire army and besieged Samaria. As a result, there was a great famine in the city…

So at twilight they set out for the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the edge of the camp, no one was there! For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the clatter of speeding chariots and the galloping of horses and the sounds of a great army approaching. “The king of Israel has hired the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us!” they cried to one another. So they panicked and ran into the night, abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys and everything else, as they fled for their lives…
(2 Kings 6:24-25a; 7:3-7).

In the 39th year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the Lord’s help but turned only to his physicians. So he died in the 41st year of his reign (2 Chron. 16:12-13).

You may face a giant battle ahead of you, but the Lord says, “Do not be afraid! Stand still and watch the Lord’s victory.”

You may feel outnumbered, but the Lord says, “I will defeat this army for you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

You may have lost all hope but the Lord can cause the enemy to panic and run – The Lord can provide for your needs.

You may be fighting a battle against disease or sickness – do not rely ONLY on physicians but seek the Lord’s help as well.

And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us! (1 Samuel 17:47).

The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord (Proverbs 21:31).

Position yourself, sit back and watch the victory!

Through Elijah’s life, we see that we serve the God who provides and the God who strengthens. As we look at what happened after Elijah faced off with the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, we see that he once again is in need of God’s providence and strength.

Ahab’s wife Jezebel was very unhappy when she heard the prophets of Baal were dead and she vowed to kill Elijah. Elijah ran in fear from his enemy, becoming so discouraged he prayed that he might die. But God provided once more for Elijah – He provided sleep, food and water. Then He provided strength saying, “Get up and eat some more, for the journey ahead of you will be too much for you” (1 Kings 19:7b).

“The journey ahead will be too much for you.” Take notice that God did not spare Elijah the journey but strengthened him for what was ahead, a journey that would take 40 days and 40 nights. His destination: the mountain of God. God was about to provide one more thing for Elijah – HIS PRESENCE.

When Elijah arrived, God asked him a very important question: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah was seeking God and God gave Elijah the opportunity to say exactly what he wanted God to do for him. Then God gave Elijah the most precious of gifts – TIME IN HIS PRESENCE.

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave (1 Kings 19:11-13).

And now, as Elijah stood in His presence, God asked once more, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” And for the second time, Elijah answered, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty…and now they are trying to kill me, too.” This reminds me of the many times I have complained to God that I am going through a difficult time in spite of the fact that I have served Him. I have in essence whined to God unnecessarily. God knows our heart and He knows when we have been faithful and when we have not. He does not always spare us the journey but He is always willing to strengthen us for what is ahead.

2 Chronicles 16:9 – The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.

I encourage you today to find time to enter into His presence. Imagine God asking you, “What are you doing here?” What will you say? What do you want the God Who Provides and the God Who Strengthens to do for you today? It’s time for me to finish my morning coffee and do the same.

“O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone” (2 Chron. 14:11a).

The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him…whenever they were in trouble and turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him out, they found him…Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul…They earnestly sought after God, and they found him (2 Chron. 15:2,4,12,15).

By the time we get to 1 Kings 18, Israel has experienced three years of drought. The drought has now caused famine – as was the situation with the widow God used to provide for Elijah. The people of Israel were running out of food and at a point where they were ready for some relief from someone. This was part of their problem. They weren’t just looking for relief from God. They were looking to other sources than the God who provides.

Looking to other sources than the God who provides – that sounds like something we are guilty of at times. Perhaps we can benefit from what happened on Mount Carmel:

So Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel. Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent (1 Kings 18:20-21).

Just as we sometimes are, the people of Israel were pulled between the things of this world and the One True God. Right before their eyes, a battle ensued between the false prophets of Baal and the prophet Elijah. Each side had everything they needed to prepare a sacrifice – everything but the fire they were to ask their god to provide. As the prophets of Baal tried hard to produce something from a false god unable to give them what they needed, Elijah mocked them with humor:

“You’ll have to shout louder for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be awakened!” – (18:27)

I think it is time for us to be awakened! There is a battle ensuing before our eyes – a battle between serving a world that daily lies to us, saying it has everything we need to find true happiness vs. serving the God who is able to provide everything we need. We need to see the ridiculous humor of trusting in the world for what we need. We need to see God respond in a powerful way as the people of Israel did and then we need to respond as they did.

Now, as you read this, remember they were at the end of three years of drought. Water was in short supply and used sparingly, yet Elijah asked for water to be poured over his offering and the wood. They used so much water that it ran around the altar and even filled the trench. Then Elijah called upon the God who had provided for him over and over again. Elijah prayed with confidence that his God would provide again (18:30-37).

Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord – he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!” – (18:38-39)

God, I lay my life before you as a sacrifice. My God who provides, please send fire down from heaven to burn up my sacrifice along with the wood (the things of this world I use to try and start my own fire), the stones (the heavy burdens), and the dust in my life (the corners of my life that need cleansed). All of the “water” or things of this world that I have depended on for sustenance lick up and leave me with only the living water that comes from you. Rain down on me. Show me even a small cloud in my life today as evidence that you are about to end the drought. Amen.

Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!”
So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.
Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.”
The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.”
Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. Finally the seventh time his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”
Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!”
And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel (1 Kings 18:41-46).

I pray you see “the small cloud” today – evidence that the drought is over and God is pleased with your sacrifice.

“At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you.” These are the words of the Lord to Solomon we looked at yesterday from 2 Chronicles 7:13. God showed His strength in this way to King Ahab generations later as He took away all dew and rain for several years. But for Elijah, who was faithful, God provided.

Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.” So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land (1 Kings 17:4-7).

So what happens when what God provides is gone? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Have you ever wondered when God’s overflowing provision in your life will end? Perhaps you question what is ahead or whether or not God will provide for you in the future, despite the fact that He is providing for you right now. When the brook God provided Elijah dried up, He faithfully provided another source.

Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”
So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, “Would you please bring a little water in a cup?” As she was going to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of bread, too.”
But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die” (1 Kings 17:8-12).

Oh, but Elijah knew His God! He knew that he served the God who provides! God had already told Elijah that He would provide for the widow – that there would ALWAYS be enough! She trusted in Elijah’s words and made bread for him first, and what God promised came true – there was ALWAYS enough!

So what happens when we want more than “enough”? The widow’s son became sick – the son whom she was raising so that he could one day provide for her in her husband’s absence died in her arms. Can you imagine her grief and worry? Elijah took the child and did what most of us would do in this same situation – He asked God “Why?”

Elijah begged God, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.” God heard Elijah’s prayer and the life of the boy returned and he revived! The child was placed back in the arms of his mother, who responded, “Now I know for sure…” (1 Kings 17:21-24).

“Now I know for sure.” Maybe that is why God allows events in our life that cause us to ask “why?” Like the widow, we need to know for sure that we serve the God who provides – that we can trust God for all of our tomorrows.

There were several big moments over the last three years when I asked God, “Why?” When the Lord asked us to move to Texas, I worried what the move would do to my girls. God provided generously for them! Soon what God provided for them was gone as He asked us to move back to Illinois, asked us to move the girls again to a new town and new schools. I found myself, even in the midst of knowing God would provide again, asking Him “Why”. The answer is floating in my morning coffee – so that I could know for sure and so that they could know for sure that they serve a God who provides!

So, next time God provides and then what God provided is taken away from you, what will be your response? Are you willing to let God take you on a journey that leads to the land of “knowing for sure”? Can you trust God that there will ALWAYS be enough?

I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!
He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.
Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.
The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. – Psalm 121, NLT

This morning my heart is heavy over some big decisions that are ahead for me at work. I prayed for the gift of God’s wisdom as He gave so generously to Solomon, and as He promises to each of us if we will ask. I read through the next few chapters of 1 Kings and of 2 Chronicles, praying that God would be specific with me. I then went back and read what I wrote last time God had me in this text back in May of last year. Oh, how faithful our God is! What God gave me on May 17th of 2012 was exactly what I needed to hear Him say this morning. Oh, what a generous and faithful God I have the privilege of sharing my morning coffee with each day!

King Solomon asked for wisdom and was blessed by God with wisdom and so many more blessings. God was generous with Solomon, equipping him to lead well and blessing His people through Solomon’s leadership. Yet, as with many previous leaders, Solomon at some point lost his focus on the source of everything good in his life. 1 Kings 11:6 says that Solomon “refused to follow the Lord COMPLETELY as his father, David, had done.”

God had given Solomon so much – wisdom and riches and honor among everyone who heard of his wisdom – yet Solomon desired what God had not given him. The Lord had specifically instructed Solomon not to marry foreign women because they would turn his heart to their gods and away from the one true God. “Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord” (11:2b-3).

Immediately my heart feels conviction at these words. How often have I desired what God has NOT given me instead of resting content in what He has given? I could easily change this verse to say, “Yet Sherry insisted on _____________ anyway.” Maybe it is because I am the youngest child for I see this tendency in my daughter. It’s hard to not get what I want. My nature is to want to manipulate and beg and stubbornly hold on to desires when God has already told me “no”.

God reduced Solomon’s reign to only one tribe in response to Solomon’s unfaithfulness. He then placed Jeroboam on the throne of the other ten tribes and God’s generosity was poured out on someone else besides Solomon. God gave Jeroboam instructions that can also help us avoid a fall such as Solomon’s.

“And I will place you on the throne of Israel, and you will rule over all that your heart desires. If you…
– Listen to what I tell you and
– Follow my ways and
– Do whatever I consider to be right, and
– If you obey my decrees and commands as my servant David did,
THEN I will always be with you” (1 Kings 11:37-38a).

And this is where God brought me again today – to a familiar passage in 2 Chronicles. These verses popped off the page, giving me a good way to end my morning coffee time and begin my day:

“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy – a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart” (2 Chronicles 7:12-16).

May I not lose focus on the source of everything good in my life, for that same source can take away His blessings and send hardships into my life to get my attention. Lord, you have my attention! Today I choose to follow you COMPLETELY. May I not insist on anything in my life that is not what You desire for me. Please give me wisdom as I listen to what you tell me, follow your ways, do whatever YOU consider to be right and obey you. Lord, this morning I humble myself before you and seek Your face. Please forgive me, open Your eyes to me and be attentive to my prayer. May Your name be forever honored through my life. Today may I hear you say, “You are dear to my heart.”

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

These verses came to my mind this morning as I was reading in 1 Kings of the beautiful, elaborate temple that Solomon built for God. Solomon took 20 years and many resources to build a gorgeous physical place for God to dwell and for God to be worshipped. Solomon knew that God was too big and too great to be contained in any one place but he desired to create a holy atmosphere where God would be honored.

When the temple was completed, Solomon dedicated it to the Lord and prayed:
“O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion. You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father. You made that promise with your own mouth, and with your own hands you have fulfilled it today…”

“But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built! Nevertheless, listen to my prayer and my plea, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is making to you today. May you watch over this Temple night and day, this place where you have said, ‘My name will be there.’” (1 Kings 8:23-24,27-29).

Solomon went on to pray to God for justice, protection, provision, healing, growth, deliverance and forgiveness. Then he prayed, “May your eyes be open to my requests and to the requests of your people Israel. May you hear and answer them whenever they cry out to you” (8:52).

This passage was a connection to me of the earthly temple we build within ourselves, creating a place where the Holy Spirit can dwell – a holy atmosphere where God can be honored. As we open our hearts to God’s will in our lives, He comes in and finishes the work. With His hands, He creates something beautiful and elaborate out of our plain, earthly lives.

Can God be contained in one simple place? No and isn’t that wonderful! Our God is so great and we are so unworthy of His presence yet He shows unfailing love to us when He meets with us and creates within us something holy. And then He places His signature on His artwork – My name will be there.

So this morning my prayer echoes Solomon’s – a prayer for justice, protection, provision, healing, growth, deliverance and forgiveness. Thank you, O Lord, for your faithfulness and for the unfailing love you show to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion. With confidence I know that you will keep your promises – that the promise you make with your mouth you will fulfill with your own hands.

May your eyes be open to my requests and to the requests of your people. May you hear and answer us whenever we cry out to you.

Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?” – 1 Kings 3:9

Solomon understood the enormity of the task before him and humbly asked for God to make him all he needed to be for this position of honor and authority among God’s people. He knew what he lacked was wisdom so he asked God for wisdom. His father David had praised the God who could examine hearts and find integrity (1 Chron 29:17). Solomon needed the ability to find this same kind of integrity in the hearts of God’s people as they came to him to settle disputes.

Some time later two prostitutes came to the king to have an argument settled. “Please, my lord,” one of them began, “this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth while she was with me in the house. Three days later this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there were only the two of us in the house.

“No,” the first woman said, “the living child is mine, and the dead one is yours.” And they argued back and forth before the king. – 1 Kings 3:16-22

Integrity in the heart of a prostitute – that is what Solomon was looking to find. Prostitutes were the most despised class of women in the Israelite community. For Solomon to even agree to meet with these women demonstrated that he was kind and just. He could have rejected them for being pregnant outside of marriage, but he took the time to hear their story and extend a helping hand. They were alone in this world, no one to even witness the births and testify to whose child was whose. They were cast off from their families, used by men and then abandoned. Yet Solomon had the gift of an understanding heart and he took time to listen to their story and meet their needs. As God said, Solomon’s greatest desire was to help his people, so God gave him the wisdom and knowledge he had requested (2 Chronicles 1:11-12).

Then the king said, “Let’s get the facts straight. Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says the dead one belongs to the other. All right, bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought to the king.

When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice. – 1 Kings 3:23-28

The actions of the mother of the living baby revealed her heart. She loved her child enough to give him up. Solomon heard the love of a mother in her reaction and gave her back her child. Compassion, understanding, wisdom and justice. What God had called Solomon to do, God equipped Solomon to do.

God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore. In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. He was wiser than anyone else…His fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations. He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish. And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon. – 1 Kings 4:29-34

Lord, give us today all we need to be used by you in the lives of those around us. Equip us with the compassion needed to care enough to listen to the stories of those who are in need of justice. Fill us with the understanding we need to help them. Give us your wisdom – not for our own glory but for YOURS! May integrity be demonstrated in our lives and revealed in our hearts. We love you, Lord. Amen.

Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.
Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.
Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.
For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. – Proverbs 2:3-6