1 Kings_3

Scripture1 Kings 3:10-1210 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.ObservationSolomon was now seated on the throne of his father King David and had taken the role of King. His father had passed away and he inherited a great number of people. He had listened to his father's instructions. God was pleased with Solomon and told him he could ask for whatever he wanted. Solomon felt the weight of the responsibility and asked the Lord for wisdom.UnderstandingGratitude and humility are always the correct response.First, Solomon responded to God with gratitude.1 Kings 3:6-9   6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.Second, the humility.7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”Solomon may have been around 20 years old when he took the throne. He was young and maybe it was obvious that he told God he was a child but it's so much more common to see an arrogant 20 something that knows everything instead of being filled with humility. I definitely was! There was clearly a difference with him. Solomon’s brothers tried to just take the throne. They never asked their father or waited to be anointed by the prophet, they thought they should be king and took it.God was so pleased with Solomon’s request as we read in 1 Kings 3:10-12 that he not only answered his request but gave him more than he could have imagined.13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”ApplicationGratitude and humility are always the correct response.I'm so grateful that he made a way for us to enter into his kingdom and bless us with all that we have no matter how big or small.Recognize the responsibility of the task that God gives to us.Matthew 22:36-40   36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’Father show me how to love you the way you deserve to be loved. Holy Spirit empower me to love my neighbor, especially the ones that make it so difficult!Oh the weight of the responsibility to LOVE God, our neighbors, and ourselves! This is just one example on how to apply this to our lives but the truth is that there is the weight of the responsibility to parent or to be a spouse according to God’s standards and commands. How about an employer or an employee? The list could go on.Pride distorts our true condition, we are mere humans in desperate need of God!  Instead let's put on humility. We don’t and can’t possibly know everything. Let’s remain teachable remembering that God is making us into the image of his Son.Seeking the kingdom of heaven and all His righteousness pleases the heart of God...that should always be our goal!

Psalm 112

Scripture

 

Psalm‬ ‭112:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

 

“Praise the LORD. Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands.”
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Observation-What does it say?

 

This Psalm describes the blessings of those who follow God’s commands.

-Children will be Mighty in the land
-Generation will be blessed
-Wealth and riches are in their houses
-They are generous and lend freely
-They are never shaken
-They will be remembered forever
-They do not fear bad news
-Their hearts are steadfast because they trust in the Lord
-Hearts are secure and they have no fear
-They freely give gifts to the poor

Understanding-What does it mean?

 

Those who follow God’s commands not only gain His blessings, but are a blessing to others as well.

As I looked over the list I generated from this Psalm, I noticed that it did not only describe a person’s blessings from the Lord (as a result of following and submitting to Him), but also how those blessings have transformed those around them. I have re-listed those blessings, but with “personal” and “others” next to it.

-Children will be Mighty in the land (transforms kids-others)
-Generation will be blessed (transforms next generation-others)
-Wealth and riches are in their houses (personal blessings)
-They are generous and lend freely (others)
-They are never shaken (personal)
-They will be remembered forever (personal)
-They do not fear bad news (personal)
-Hearts are steadfast because they trust in the Lord (personal)
-Hearts are secure and they have no fear (personal)
-They freely give gifts to the poor (others)

Life Application

 

To be a blessing to others starts with putting God first in our lives.

The two greatest commandments are to love the Lord with our whole being and love our neighbor as ourselves. The law can be summed up by those 2 commands, according to Scripture. (See Matthew 22:36-40).

We reap what we sow and others reap what we sow too. Just like how the consequences of sin never only affects the individual negatively, but also others, the consequences or outcome of putting God first and living a righteous and pure life also affects others, but in a blessed type of way.

Therefore, let us seek to put Christ first in everything we do so that we will be blessed AND be a blessing to others also!

-Michelle Gaddi

Matthew__28

Scripture

Matthew 28:16-17 NLT

“Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!”

 

Observation-What does it say?

As both Marys went to visit Jesus’ tomb, they were greeted by a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, rolled back the huge stone that lay in front of the door of the tomb, and showed both Marys that the place where Jesus’ body laid, was now empty! Just like Jesus told them...He would rise again! Jesus is alive! Now the angel told the women to go and tell the disciples that Jesus is alive, and to tell them to head to Galilee, because it is there that they will see him.

So when the disciples arrived in Galilee, they went to the mountain where Jesus told them to go. It was there that they saw him and worshipped him, yet some of them still doubted.

 

Understanding-What does it mean?

Transformation does not happen quickly.

 

Even after all Jesus has done for them, all He has told them, all that they have seen with their own eyes, they still doubted?! We would like to think that the Resurrection alone would immediately transform these timid disciples into heroes of faith. But this particular verse is a great reminder that transformation does not happen overnight. Even after Jesus’ disciples saw him alive and heard him speak, they still doubted.

 

Now just when I was going to get down on Jesus’ disciples, I took a look at my own life. I looked back at all that I learned, all that Jesus has done in my life, and all that He has got me through. Yet when one of life’s roadblocks comes my way, what do I do? I find myself anxious, I begin to doubt God’s promises for me. Why?! I believe it’s a growing and maturing process we as Christ Followers all go through. Our lives as Christ Followers is a daily spiritual walk. A walk in which we should all be striving to grow and mature in Christ daily. I believe the “churchy word” for it is sanctification. It is our lifelong process as God’s children to become more like Christ each and every day. And it doesn’t stop either! It is something we all should be doing till the Lord calls us home.

 

Life Application

I must allow the Holy Spirit to make me be a better disciple each and every day, month, and year!

 

Too often we come across people who say they have been Christians for years and years. Yet they seem to be struggling with the same issues over and over. They tell you that they’ve been a Christian for 10 years, but it seems they’ve been repeating the same grade year after year with no growth. Or they can quote you scripture and know the Bible inside-out. Yet their lives contradict what they should already know. They have the information, but not the transformation in their lives. 

As Christ Followers we should be all about the transformation. We should be allowing the Holy Spirit to mold us and change us to be more like Jesus each day. We all need to start somewhere in our walk with God. The key is to make sure we don’t settle where we are at, but we continue to seek growth to become more and more like Him each day . 

-Moses Gaddi