datethewordtest

Tag: 1 Kings

  • Verse to DATE the Word on August 20 (8/20) is 1 Kings 8:20

    “So the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke; and I have filled the position
    of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised; and
    I have built a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel.” – 1 Kings 8:20
    God fulfills His Promises

    As King Solomon recaps all that has taken place in building the temple that was first in the heart of his father David, he tells us that God fulfills His promises. This is the second time in just a few verses that Solomon proclaimed that God keeps His promises.  In 1 Kings 8:15, he said, “And he said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who with His hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to David my father.” 

    Just as God fulfilled His promises to Solomon, you can STAND firm on the promises of God.  

    Do you believe what you just read?   Do you believe that you serve a PROMISE KEEPING HEAVENLY FATHER?  Do you believe that He says what He means and means what He says?  

    I present those pointed questions because how we think and what we believe about God impacts our praying and our living.  One of the greatest questions to be answered is CAN YOU TRUST GOD?   

    CAN YOU TRUST GOD?   Can you truly trust GOD with your salvation?  Can you truly TRUST God with your life?  Can YOU truly trust God to do what He says He will do?  

    In getting an affirmative answer to those pointed questions it is always good to look at one’s track record.  Our God has a long track record of keeping His promises.  As chapter 8 of 1 Kings wraps up Solomon says these words about God’s promises: “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.”  Not one word has failed.

    Our verse to DATE the Word on August 20 (8/20) is 1 Kings 8:20. It says, “So the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke and I have filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised; and I have built a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel.”

    The apostle Peter wrote that the believer has been given exceedingly great and precious promises  (2 Peter 1:4).  As you ponder on God’s promises what is (are) the most precious promise (promises) you have from God?  

    Continue Strong standing firmly on the precious promises of God,
    And remember to DATE the Word

    BTW – my most precious promise from God is that He will never leave nor forsake me.  His presence is the most precious promise to me!

  • Verse to DATE the Word on June 29 (6/29) is 1 Kings 6:29

    “So Solomon decorated all the walls of the inner sanctuary and the main room
    with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers.” – 1 Kings 6:29 (NLT)
    Taking the time to DECORATE 

    As I look at this verse and consider the actions of Solomon I try to envision how he turned a plain wall into something incredibly beautiful.  As a builder of the Temple, it was more than just stone upon stone for him.  He wanted the temple to be beautiful for God Himself is described as beautiful.  Solomon’s father David desired to behold the beauty of the Lord. (Psalm 27:4) Thus, as the builder Solomon was an interior decorator decorating both the outside and the inside of the temple.  And when he finished it was said that “Never before had such beautiful things been seen in Judah.” (1 Chronicles 9:24 NLT) 

    I am thinking most of us appreciate things that are beautiful.  Now the old statement that beauty is in the eye of the beholder is true.  My father would be best described as “an ol’ farmer.”  He would see a large cornfield and say, “Isn’t that beautiful.”   I personally love sunsets. Watching the sunset over the gulf coast is breathtaking to me.  As well I love a sunrise.  I hope you will pause as you read and consider what you consider to be beautiful.  

    In considering 1 Kings 6:29 about how Solomon decorated walls to make them beautiful I would like to place two thoughts before you.   One is to consider how God has changed your ugly life as a sinner into something beautiful.  At least that is what he did for me.  I was a mess.  I was covered in filth.  Then Jesus comes into my life and He cleansed me from all unrighteousness with His blood.   My mess has been turned into a message of how Jesus Christ changes lives!

    The second thought is that we are to be active as interior decorators with our own lives so that we make the gospel attractive.  Titus 2:10 says, “and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.” (NIV) Our behavior is to make the gospel message ATTRACTIVE.  The Greek word translated here attractive is a word that gives us our English word “cosmetic.”  We, as you know, use cosmetics to make ourselves more attractive.  Just as we use cosmetics to make ourselves more attractive to others, we are to put on actions that make the gospel attractive.

    So, how are you decorating God’s temple (your life)?  Do the words of your mouth make the gospel attractive?  Does your temperament make the gospel attractive?  (ouch) I think you got the idea.  Our actions as well as inactions stir up emotions in a lost person to be turned on to the gospel or turned off.  

    In closing allow me to share a decorating tip.  Just as Solomon decorated the temple wall with flowers you should have your life decorated with fruits.  The lost world should see love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  (Gal. 5:22-23)  

    Verse to DATE the Word on June 29 (6/29) is 1 Kings 6:29. It says, “So Solomon decorated all the walls of the inner sanctuary and the main room with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers.” (NLT)

    Decorate your life so the gospel is attractive.   

    Continue Strong as an interior decorator,
    And remember to DATE the Word
  • Verse to DATE the Word on March 9 (3/9) is 1 Kings 3:9

    Verse to DATE the Word on March 9 (3/9) is 1 Kings 3:9

    Our verse to DATE the Word on March 9 (3/9) is 1 Kings 3:9
    1 Kings 3:9 says, “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

    ASK FOR WISDOM!!

    King Solomon has been granted the grand prize of prizes in that he can ASK God for anything. The story of God’s offer to Solomon is found in 1 Kings 3:5-15.  Starting at verse 5 we read of the offer.  “At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”  

    Have you ever pondered how enormous this offer is? The One who OWNS it all (Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the LORD’S, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein) says Ask! What shall I give you? Solomon could ask for RICHES and WEALTH!  The One who is all POWERFUL; the One who is all KNOWING says, ASK! What shall I give you? Solomon could be asking for power and fame.  

    WHAT WOULD YOU BE ASKING FOR IF THIS WAS PRESENTED TO YOU?

    Before making his request, the passage shows us how Solomon came to make his request.  He confesses that he does not have the understanding nor wisdom nor discernment to be the leader that a king needs to have. 1 Kings 3:7 says, “Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.”  There is great humility here as Solomon is wise enough to know he is not wise enough.  

    Knowing that he does not know what he needs to know he makes the wisest of decisions to ask for understanding, discernment, yes, for WISDOM! While he could have asked for power yet he understood that without wisdom one could easily misuse power. He could have asked for wealth but without wisdom, one’s wealth would lose its value. He could have asked for fame but without wisdom fame and honor goes to one’s head bringing about arrogance. So instead of asking for things almost any human would have asked for he asked for wisdom.  Oh, the wisdom of asking for wisdom! 

    WHAT WOULD YOU BE ASKING FOR IF THIS WAS PRESENTED TO YOU?

    I place the question before you a second time because the truth of the matter is as believers every moment is living the Solomon dream because God has said through Pastor James in James 1:5 that if any man lacks wisdom LET HIM ASK GOD! Read it and read it again! James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” 

    Quick story: As my father-in-law was driving across several states on a long drive with his grandson he kept asking questions about the different things he was seeing.  To his surprise, his grandson was rattling off the answers. Being impressed at how smart his grandson was he complimented him. His grandson then revealed that he was simply entering the question into Google.  My father-in-law then said you might be stupid but there is now no reason to be ignorant since there is Google at your fingertips.

    Friends, it is true that with GOOGLE you have so much knowledge of things but more than not being ignorant I would say to you that you don’t have to be stupid!  You can ask GOD for WISDOM, wisdom for making life decisions!  

    I appeal to you to APPLY the wisdom that tells you to ASK and to ACQUIRE wisdom! Get into God’s Word where you will find wisdom for living.  One approach I take is to read a chapter a day from the book of Proverbs.  Today is the 9th day so I read Proverbs 9. 

    Verse to DATE the Word on March 9 (3/9) is 1 Kings 3:9. It says, “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

    WISDOM says, ASK for wisdom and ACQUIRE wisdom, and APPLY wisdom!

    Continue Strong getting WISDOM from God!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD