Day 98
Reading: 1 Kings 6:1 - 1 Kings 7:51
We were created to worship God not ourselves. Today's world is suffering from the effects of selfishness. A 'Me, Myself and I' approach to living has made us only want the material things of this world and not the life of fellowship with God. God desires to walk with you. His desire is that you walk in constant communion with Him. When God is holding your hand the things of this world are easily accessed. Solomon sought wisdom from God and God gave him the world in a sense on top of wisdom. Maybe we need to take a look at what we are seeking from God to enjoy life in a godly way.
David desired to build the temple of God, however, God sent the prophet Nathan to him to tell him that his son would build it for him 2 Sam. 7:13. Solomon embarks on this great enterprise to fulfil the vision of the father. If only the believers of today realised that we have a responsibility to extend the Kingdom by building on what previous generations have built. We wouldn't need revivals because we would be furthering the Kingdom of God in every generation, building higher and deeper with every generation.
Solomon began building the Temple of God 480 years after the children of Israel left Egypt. During this entire time, the Tabernacle of God was a tent. Everyone had their own place but for God, they hadn't built a temple. No one had the vision to build the temple. There is no reason given to this, however, many today are least bothered with building the temple of God. They are more concerned with building their mansions and lives that God's temple is left neglected. Solomon in building the temple understood that it was a great sacrifice and he made sure that the temple of God was awesome and beautiful.
As I read this it dawned on me that God desires we build His Temple to impact different areas:
- Family: Let your family have a meeting place with God. Fathers take charge not just of the holidays to exotic places but also of ensuring your family has daily encounters with God. The temple of God was a place where the people met with God. God is interested in your family and desires that every family meet with Him.
- Personally: You are the temple of God. When you view yourself as God's temple you will treat life differently. God desires to inhabit you. The temple was a place of worship, a place where men and women came together and met with God. People should meet God through you and I. When I am the temple of God the earth will quake and tremble for it knows that wherever I walk everything bows. When you are a carrier of God's Presence what will not bow to the majesty of God in you?
- Marketplace: Marketplace ministry today is where we need to take the church. We go to church for 2 hours and when we leave there we leave God there. The notion that God is not in the marketplace is what has allowed sin to flourish in the business world. Don't segregate God and the marketplace. Later in the Bible, we shall see how God is interested in the marketplace.
- God's House in the community. Men arise and go to church. It's a place for weaklings. It's a place for meeting with the Creator and receiving nourishment.
It took Solomon 7 years to build the House of God, however, he took 13 years to build his palace. When you take long to build your own you must be spending more on that which is yours than God's. The question then is who really is first, God or self? When you look at your expenditure is it full of God or self?
Memory Verse: 1 Kings 6:12
Decree
'Charles concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgments, keep all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My word with you.' 1 Kings 6:12(italics mine; paraphrased)
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