The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
2 Chronicles 2-3, 1 Kings 5-6
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 5: Kings and Prophets: God shapes a kingdom people
Background Information: 2 Chronicles 2-3, 1 Kings 5-6
David’s life work was to establish the Kingdom. Solomon was handed peace and prosperity, and his role was to build a temple for God. Long before, during the Exodus, we read of a time when the Passover would be celebrated in the place where God would choose to have his name dwell (Deuteronomy 16:6). Though these books are history, they are not mere history, for they are written as theology. They teach us about God, not just about the things that humans did during their brief stint on earth. Look at how the beginning of the building of the temple is dated:
“Solomon began to build the temple for the Lord in the four hundred eightieth year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of his reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month.”
1 Kings 6:1
When Israel came out of Egypt, it was the fulfillment of a promise given to Abraham. The fulfilment of the promise of a place for Israel to worship God was dated back to that time. God’s promises through the ages are unfolding, not because of human efforts, but most often in spite of them. The details of the building of the temple remind us of the plans for the tabernacle in the Exodus. It too is a return to Eden; it is where heaven and earth meet and where God’s presence will dwell with his people. Unlike the tabernacle, which was portable (because God’s people did not yet have a permanent place), the temple was fixed in the land God had given them. So far so good, but just wait– the history of men isn’t a good one. However, we must not forget this isn’t merely the history of men, it is the plan of God through the ages. His plan is good, and even the folly of men cannot defeat it. As the old saying goes, we must not miss the “forest for the trees.” Keep the bigger picture of the Sovereign God in mind as you read these stories. Keep that bigger picture in mind as you walk through the “trees” that are your own day-to-day life.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for Youth Horizons. Ask God to provide mentors for the children on their waiting list. Ask God to encourage the mentors who are investing in children. Pray that the seeds of the gospel would bear fruit in the lives of children.
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.