Just As


"So I am planning to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God, just as he had instructed my father David. For the Lord told him, 'Your son, whom I will place on your throne, will build the Temple to honor my name.' ... When Hiram received Solomon's message, he was very pleased and said, 'Praise the Lord today for giving David a wise son to be king of the great nation of Israel.' ... So the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, just as he had promised. And Hiram and Solomon made a formal alliance of peace." I Kings 5:5,7,12

Recently, I had a day where on three occasions I stopped to reconsider doing what I had told others that I would do that day. The activities I had planned grew to be what felt like big distractions to that which was now the pressing need. Over and over and over again the words of Jesus ran through my mind. Specifically, "Let your 'yes' be 'yes' and your 'no' be 'no'." I had to keep telling myself to do just as I said I would do. At the end of the day, no regrets.

This scene in I Kings 5 records the amazing interaction of two kings, Solomon, King of Israel and Hiram, King of Tyre. The potential for conflict between these two was very high, but instead they formed a mutually beneficial alliance. Solomon did just as God had instructed in building the temple. Hiram recognized his wisdom confirming that God had indeed kept his promise to give Solomon wisdom just as he said he would. 

God will always do just as he said he would. It's his nature. He doesn't play games. He doesn't get distracted. He doesn't make promises that he cannot keep. There is much to commend "just as" living. Solomon discovered that to be true. The joy for us is that we can too! We can, with God's help, do just as he instructs us to do. We can lean into both his presence and his promises. The only question is, "Will we?" 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tested

"He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do." John 6:1-13 Test day. I remember all too well the feelings of discomfort connected to that expression from my school days. I was so thankful the last time I had to take one. Tests felt so much like a cruel game of, "Guess What I'm Thinking?" with the author of the test. During one particularly grueling test, I noticed one of my classmates cheating like there was no tomorrow. Predictably, he aced it and I let's just say, didn't. It occurred to me later that I was actually being tested in two different ways that day. By God's grace alone, I passed them both. Philip was in the hot seat that day. Jesus, out of the twelve disciples, decided to single him out for testing. From all appearances, there was a massive resource shortage. Five thousand men plus women and children all hungry up against whatever money Judas had in the money bag. Philip was apparently incredulous as he emphaticall
Read more

Nothing Left

"'What do you mean what's the matter?' Micah replied. 'You've taken away all the gods I have made, and my priest, and I have nothing left!" Judges 17, 18 Unaware of some purchases that my wife had made earlier in the day, I didn't even hesitate to use my debit card at the checkout line. However, our bank was fully aware of all those purchases as well as the one I was attempting to make at the present moment. Clearly, the math didn't add up. Something from nothing is something less than nothing and that, as it turns, is frowned upon by our aforementioned bank. In short, the bank told the merchant there was nothing left and the merchant told me, "Declined." Micah was one panicked individual. His personal little self-directed and self-centered religion was coming apart at the seams. He had idols. He had priests. He had a shrine and even a sacred ephod (a priestly garment). All this, he thought, secured the LORD's blessing. When the warri
Read more

Who is Jesus?

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:15, 16 NIV) What are your thoughts about Jesus? Every major religion on earth has an opinion on who he was. Mostly they say that he was a good man, a powerful teacher, and a peacemaker. All of that is true. But what about him being the Son of God? Peter, after being with Jesus non-stop for 4 years was confident of his identity. He was assured that Jesus was God in the flesh, the Messiah that was to come. You essentially have three options when it comes to what you believe about Jesus: 1) He was a Liar 2) He was a Lunatic (out of his mind) 3) Or that He was Lord If he was, and is, Lord, then he deserves our worship and our entire lives. If Jesus is Lord, it is true that we have access to God by His sacrifice on the cross. Join us Friday night at 7, as we reflect on Jesus going to the cross for the sins of the entire world (Good Frida
Read more