(1 Kings 8:14-66) Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15 He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and fulfilled it with His hands, saying, 16 ‘Since the day that I brought My people Israel from Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house so that My name would be there, but I chose David to be over My people Israel.’ 17 Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. 19 Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who will be born to you, he will build the house for My name.’ 20 Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in place of my father David and I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 21 And there I have set a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord, which He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”
22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and he spread out his hands toward heaven. 23 And he said, “Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping the covenant and showing faithfulness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart, 24 You who have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You promised him; You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. 25 Now then, Lord, God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father that which You have promised him, saying, ‘You shall not be deprived of a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful about their way, to walk before Me as you have walked.’ 26 Now then, God of Israel, let Your words, please, be confirmed, which You have spoken to Your servant, my father David.
27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built! 28 Nevertheless, turn Your attention to the prayer of Your servant and to his plea, Lord, my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today, 29 so that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to listen to the prayer which Your servant will pray toward this place. 30 And listen to the plea of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place; hear in heaven Your dwelling place; hear and forgive!
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
Once again, we are reminded that THE Church is not a building, but the body of believers, because Christianity is not a religion, it is all about having a personal relationship with the Lord. And with that, we are able to ask our heavenly Father everything and anything. We need to know that if it is in His will, He will give us what we request. So without a doubt, He will give us wisdom and guidance. He will give us more love, as well as peace, comfort and contentment in our hearts!
Then there are those requests regarding specific things, projects or directions. Like, which career path do I take, or which person should I marry - if - I should marry...? Many of these things can be really good things, and "within God's will". Therefore, we should ask the Lord, because one never knows what His answer will be. As the Lord, Himself, has said, "You don't have, because you don't ask."
God will always answer! Sometimes His answer is "yes", and sometimes the answer is "not yet", or "no, because I have something else in mind for you". We should know to trust the Lord in His answers, because He is all-knowing and does want the very best for us.
People make the mistake of trying to box God in, thinking they can control Him. God cannot be contained in any building, what makes us think that we can contain God, in our minds. In doing that, we limit what He is able to do, because in reality, God's power far exceeds our imagination to the point that we cannot even fathom what He is able to do! So when God says that, for example, He will protect His Church, He will!
There are many clear promises that God has made in His word, so we can know without a doubt that He will accomplish these things. And the biggest point in there is that - HE - will accomplish these things. He might use us in some way, but it is not up to us to figure it out or make it happen. We just have to be obedient to His will... doing as He says in His word. God will sort out the details and pave the way.
This should be such a relief to us - to give God the control, because He is sovereign, after all. And we are so very finite! Therefore, we should stop trusting in our own efforts or trying to be God, and let God be God! The Lord desires that we rest in Him and trust His answers.
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