The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 5:3-4,
"You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the Lord his God until the Lord put his enemies under his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster."
These words of Solomon come from a message he had sent to King Hiram of Tyre when asking for materials to build a temple to the Lord.
In it I note the reference to "the Lord his God" changes to "the Lord my God". Where Solomon refers to his father's [David's] God, he now refers to God as "my God". Solomon did not find solace in the Lord through his father, but appropriated his own relationship with the God of his father.
How about us? Are we content with a false notion that somehow we have access, we have a relationship through our parents to God? Through our spouse? Through our pastor? Through our priest? Through the pope? Through some shyster evangelist on TV? None of this will do.
The Lord Jesus Christ desires an immediate relationship with each of us... directly. Not through anyone else. As Paul observes, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people." I don't see a priest in there. I don't see my Sunday School teacher in there. I don't see a pope in there. I don't see an elder in there. I don't see any family members in there. Likewise, I don't see a church membership in there, I don't see an attendance record in there. I don't see the financial statement of my giving in there either.
Each and every one of us must appropriate our own relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Each of us must possess our own embrace of faith in him. Our parents won't do and our spouses won't do. It is with my own faith in Jesus Christ that I find my inheritance in the kingdom of God and it is with your own faith in Jesus Christ that you will find your inheritance in the kingdom of God.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
"You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the Lord his God until the Lord put his enemies under his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster."
These words of Solomon come from a message he had sent to King Hiram of Tyre when asking for materials to build a temple to the Lord.
In it I note the reference to "the Lord his God" changes to "the Lord my God". Where Solomon refers to his father's [David's] God, he now refers to God as "my God". Solomon did not find solace in the Lord through his father, but appropriated his own relationship with the God of his father.
How about us? Are we content with a false notion that somehow we have access, we have a relationship through our parents to God? Through our spouse? Through our pastor? Through our priest? Through the pope? Through some shyster evangelist on TV? None of this will do.
The Lord Jesus Christ desires an immediate relationship with each of us... directly. Not through anyone else. As Paul observes, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people." I don't see a priest in there. I don't see my Sunday School teacher in there. I don't see a pope in there. I don't see an elder in there. I don't see any family members in there. Likewise, I don't see a church membership in there, I don't see an attendance record in there. I don't see the financial statement of my giving in there either.
Each and every one of us must appropriate our own relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Each of us must possess our own embrace of faith in him. Our parents won't do and our spouses won't do. It is with my own faith in Jesus Christ that I find my inheritance in the kingdom of God and it is with your own faith in Jesus Christ that you will find your inheritance in the kingdom of God.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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