by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Chronicles 1:1-3
Solomon started out with a heart that really belonged to God. He didn’t ask for riches, honor, or long life, but he asked for wisdom and knowledge to rule the people well. This pleased God and He gave the new king all of it. Wisdom, knowledge, and riches in abundance.
As I read of the temple being constructed, I am reminded of a message I heard several years ago. The Jews knew that God’s greatest blessings included wealth – certainly tremendous provision. That’s what we see in this temple – and with Solomon’s life in general. Wealth.
When Constantine came into power, he acknowledged Christianity, and wanted everyone to become a Christian. In doing so, he introduced many other cultures into Christianity. This was great, of course, except that other thought patterns began to dominate.
One of those concepts was the Greek idea that anything of earth was somehow tainted. They believed that only the spiritual side of man was good; everything else was bad. So denial of earthly pleasures was the norm. They considered that any kind of riches were inherently evil. Man was supposed to be poor if he was holy.
Over the years, some Christian leaders – who were great men – gave impetus to this train of thought. If you were holy, you had to be poor.
There are many Christians today who think that way. They think that if your are rich, you are evil. There is some sort of piety in being poor.
When you look at the patriarchs of the Old Testament, it’s easy to see that there is a contradiction. In building the temple, Solomon spared no expense. He assembled the best materials and the temple was constructed with excellence.
In blessing Solomon, God also made him rich. He was not only the wisest man, but the richest man on earth.
Jews knew then, and today still know, that God’s blessing includes earthly provision. Certainly wealth is to be handled in a way that benefits others and extends God’s kingdom, but wealth is good when handled properly.
I believe that God wants our spirit to dominate our lives, but He also wants our whole being – spirit, soul and body to be blessed beyond measure.
Our God is a good, loving Father who wants the best for His children.
John 10: 1-23
“The thief comes only to kill and steal and destroy; I came that they might have life and have it abundantly.”(V.10) I think of this verse as a litmus test to see where something is coming from. Does it bring life or death? Does it steal from you? Kill you? Destroy you?
The way of Jesus gets us to heaven someday, but it also causes our lives to be full here on earth. He wants abundant life for us. Now that abundant life still puts Him first – and follows His plans for us, but that life brings tremendous pleasure also. Love, joy, peace are all in the package.
Jesus mentions coming through the door. What does He mean? The door into the earth is human birth. Jesus came that way – born of Mary. There is a right and responsibility which comes with being born into the earth. We – as people – have the charge to rule and have dominion over God’s earth. We are to manage it.
The words we speak, the prayers we pray, and the actions we take can cause change around us. This authority should be used for good and not evil.
The devil didn’t come through the door. He wasn’t born into the earth; instead he stole it from Adam by deception. (The thief and robber doesn’t come in by the door, but climbs up some other way. V. 1)
Then Jesus goes on to say that He is the good shepherd, His sheep will follow Him, and He will lay down His life for the sheep.
He is stating the gospel in a nutshell. The Pharisees can’t stand such talk, since the devil is controlling them. So they accuse Jesus of having a demon. Others, however, though they don’t understand what He is saying, still know that he is the Christ. They hear the shepherd’s voice.
Do you hear His voice?I want to make sure that I hear Him clearly – in everything He says to me. Sometimes tradition can muddle our thinking so that we don’t recognize what he is saying. I want to be willing to listen and change my thinking when it’s contrary to what He is saying.
Lord, open the eyes of our hearts so that we can see clearly – and the ears of our hearts so that we can hear clearly. We want to be your people – completely.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
I Chronicles 28-29
Right up until his last breath, David delights in the Lord his God. As he draws all of Israel together and gives everyone a charge, the king’s mind is on the house of the Lord and the beautiful building which will be dedicated to his God.
David has already gathered many elements. Gold, silver, bronze, onyx stones, inlaid stones, stones of various colors, wood, and alabaster in abundance. He has given from his own collection of silver, gold and bronze. Then he asks if others want to contribute.
At this point, the rulers, princes, and commanders offerwillingly to bring from their treasures gold, silver, brass and iron. “Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the Lord with a whole heart, and King David also rejoiced greatly.”(29:9)
A giving heart is always a thankful heart. When people give liberally to the Lord, they are always joyful people.
It’s interesting to me that in this account of the transfer of power from David to Solomon, none of the negative stories are related. Nothing is said about Adonijah trying to steal the crown. Nothing is said about Bathsheba having to go to David on Solomon’s behalf.
Instead, this history just includes the anointing of Solomon. God’s will – and not man’s selfish will – is being exalted in this account.
Then “David dies at a ripe old age, full of days, riches and honor, and his son, Solomon reigns in his place.”(29:28)
King David, the greatest of all the kings before him – or after him – exemplifies the favor of God on a man’s life. He made a huge mistake when he committed adultery and murder, but he was truly repentant, and God’s forgiveness was forthcoming along with his blessing.
David’s desire to honor God, his humble trust in God when challenged, and his kindness to those around him – especially to Saul’s household, are attributes which all of us should strive for.
It’s easy to see why David is called a “man after God’s own heart.”
John 9: 28-41
The encounter with the blind man is still provoking the Pharisees. He challenges them because even though he hasn’t studied the Word of God like they have, he knows that the healing he receives from Jesus is noteworthy.
The leaders, totally uncaring about the man who has received his sight, are just trying to accuse Jesus of healing on the Sabbath. This newly healed blind man knows better than they. So he is also making them angry!
In verse 39 Jesus says something which may be confusing, but which is significant (as is everything He says). He says, “for judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see; and that those who see may become blind.”
Now wait just a minute! Jesus is not going to make the Pharisees blind, is He? Of course not. So what does He mean?
I think that I know, so go with me for a minute, and see if you get the same revelation.
Do you remember right at the beginning of Genesis, after Adam and Eve sinned it says that their “eyes were opened and they saw that they were naked?”(Gen 3:7) I think that this type of sight is referring to the natural mind controlling their sight. Until their sin, Adam and Eve had been ruled by the Spirit of God which was within them. Their spiritual vision dominated. When they sinned, their natural vision took over.
So what is the difference between spiritual vision and natural vision? Spiritual vision sees beyond the natural. It incorporates faith so that it looks beyond what is there to what will become. For instance, natural vision may look at a child and see the limitations. Spiritual vision will look at a child and see the potential – the way God looks at us.
So Jesus is saying that He has come so that spiritual eyes can be opened again – the eyes that have been closed since the sin of Adam. Then when the spiritual eyes are totally open, the natural eyes won’t be dominant anymore. People will be led by faith and not by sight.
One day, as I was meditating on this, I felt the Lord speaking to me.
He said, when someone is blind, they need to know where the obstacle are so that they will not fall over things. Yet their eyes are not drawn to the obstacles. When we are led by the Spirit, we are not ignorant of obstacles, but we are not drawn to them. We are drawn to God’s purpose and His plans for us. Our spirit continues to draw us to our greater purpose, as we see with our eyes of faith.
I want to have heavenly vision – don’t you? I want God’s best for me and for those around me. That only comes with spiritual vision – being led by the spirit.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
I Chronicles 25-27
Do you like organization? Well you will love these chapters.
Once again we see a listing of lineages and assignments. This time it goes a little deeper, however. Not only does each person have an assignment, but timing for when they will perform their duties.
In chapter 27, the twelve commanders of Israel are enumerated – along with the months in which they will be in charge. Each of them have 24,000 troops under their command, and they have a specific month for their assignment.
All we need to do is look around at nature to realize that our God is very organized. Everything runs on schedule – the days and nights, the seasons, all of the animal behavior, seed time and harvest, and many more cycles. Not only does all of nature run on a schedule, but the many different schedules work together in a symbiotic way so that life can thrive and His purposes can be fulfilled.
For those of us who don’t have that gift in abundance (people like me), organization is sometimes seen as a necessary evil.
Yet anyone’s life and anyone’s work will be enhanced by applying some principles of organization. Systems in place can keep things humming.
So I, for one, purpose to endeavor to be more organized. I will watch those who have this down pat, and try to apply their principles.
I will also try to increase my ability to keep to a schedule when working so that i can accomplish more for Him.
I need His help, and I’m quite sure that I’ll get it!
John 9: 1-27
What are these Pharisees thinking? How can they be so spiritually dense?
Surely they would be happy to see a blind man healed and able to see! Well, obviously not on a Sunday.
This time these strange men don’t just complain about it, they go to the blind man and question him sharply as to who healed him. Then they go to his parents and question them.
Not once do we see any compassion in these people. Not once do we see them rejoice with this man who has been blind from birth!
No. They are too busy trying to persecute this Jesus who is getting all of the attention. They have Him now, they think. He obviously isn’t God’s man if he heals on the Sabbath.
These men just don’t know their God.
Our God is more compassionate than our minds can conceive, and His Son is representing this truth to His generation.
I pray that we will know our Father God so well that we will understand and embrace His mercy. We need it. So do those round us.
I also pray that more and more of us will properly represent our Lord as we mingle with those around us. He is extending His mercy to all, and we need to accurately represent Him to our generation.
