The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
1 Kings 3-4, 2 Chronicles 1, Psalm 72
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 5: Kings and Prophets: God shapes a kingdom people
Background Information: 1 Kings 3-4, 2 Chronicles 1, Psalm 72
Solomon begins well in many aspects, but there is an ominous sign of things to come when he marries Pharoah’s daughter. He loved God, but he also offered sacrifices on “high places.” These were not always naturally elevated landforms; they were often man-made altars of stone that could be moved from place to place. They were also not necessarily places of idolatry, but they often were. Solomon’s problem will be his double-mindedness. He attempted to blend devotion to the one true God with idolatry. James coined the term “double mind” (James 1:8) to describe a person like Solomon who was half in and half out in his devotion to God. However, God uses Solomon as he is. God grants him wisdom for the good of the people. Scripture illustrates the scope of this God-given wisdom in the story of the two women and in his practical abilities to oversee a large nation’s logistical requirements. In addition to wisdom, God also granted Solomon great wealth and international acclaim. In Solomon’s Psalm 72, he is clearly aware that good kings bring untold blessings to the people under their reign. How is it that with all this going for him, he fails to live up to his own ideals? Israel’s frail human kings point to the true King whose perfect reign will bring eternal blessings to his people. We are all capable of being double-minded. We can seek to blend devotion to the one true King with selfish idolatry. Having a double mind (literally “double soul”) is actually attempting the impossible. We either worship God or not; there is no way to serve two masters. We must repent of our double-mindedness. The good news is that if we resist sin and Satan and we draw near to God, then we can be sure that God will draw near to us.
“Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
James 4:8-10
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for the Men’s Thing, that is happening on June 13th & 14th. Pray that this time together would be fun, refreshing, and encouraging. Ask the Lord to strengthen the relationships between the men and deepen their walk with Him.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.