The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
1 Kings 12, 2 Chronicles 10
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 6: Kings and Prophets: God divides the kingdom people.
Background Information: 1 Kings 12, 2 Chronicles 10
The Kingdom of Saul, David, and Solomon lasted a mere one hundred years. Such is the strength of men to hold on to the gifts of God. Solomon’s fool of a son Rehoboam took the advice of his immature childhood buddies over the mature advice of the wise men who surrounded him. Clearly he didn’t read, or at least heed, the words of his father.
“Whoever walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.”
Proverbs 13:20
He may have heard these words, but sons will often follow in their dad’s walk, not merely their talk. The Kingdom is split into the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah). Now it is a matter of time before those divided kingdoms will fall at the hands of their enemies.
In the North, Jeroboam determined that the people must not visit Jerusalem in the south to worship God at the temple. He reasoned that if they did, then their hearts would turn against him. His solution was to form his own system of worship in the North. He revised the golden calf idolatry, times two! He made up his own priesthood to serve idols. He made up his own sacrifices and festivals. In other words, he completely rejected the Law given by God and became a law unto himself. This sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
The tragic irony is that God had promised Jeroboam that though there would always be a son of David on the throne in Jerusalem, he would also build a lasting dynasty for Jeroboam if he would walk in obedience (1 Kings 11:34-39). Over and over, we see that Israel’s leaders think they are smarter than God. What is especially dumb about this human “wisdom” is that God offers them what they most wanted. All they had to do was to obey, and they would have had a lasting legacy (1 Kings 11:38). Instead, they do things their own way and find a legacy of shame. Your heart was made by God for God. What your heart truly wants can only be found in obedient relationship with God. Do not let the deceitfulness of sin tell you otherwise.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Kids Camp wraps up today as we conclude the story of Esther, learning that we can have hope that God offers peace no matter what happens in life. Pray that seeds planted this week will grow and bear fruit in the lives of our kids. Thank God for the investment by so many in their lives. Today’s memory verse: Romans 8:28.
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.