|
Post Date: |
Wednesday, 2017-12-06 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
1 Kings 14:7-9 (ERV) |
|
Text: |
7 ….this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jeroboam, I chose you from among all the Israelites. I made you the ruler of my people. 8 David’s family was ruling the kingdom of Israel, but I took the kingdom away from them and gave it to you. But you are not like my servant David. He always obeyed my commands and followed me with his whole heart. He did only what I accepted. 9 But you have sinned worse than anyone who ruled before you. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| There was a lot going on in Israel with so many wicked kings that ultimately resulted in a wicked nation. In the case of Jeroboam, he sent his wife to the prophet Ahijah out of desperation over the serious illness of his son. However, Jeroboam had his wife disguise herself, because he wasn’t sure that he wanted to hear the lecture back from Ahijah. But what God had planned was carried through to completion, and a strong awakening message was returned to Jeroboam about his impending judgment. God sees and knows all things about us. I wonder what’s in store for us? |
|
| APPLICATION: | |
| We are always opposed to being compared to someone else, for we feel like a unique individual who should be allowed to think outside of the box and achieve the end result in our own unique form, correct? A huge difference in this for the Christian, is that God has already established a ‘standard’, and we should always be striving to please God by reaching for that ‘standard’. I believe that successful people will look for someone who has already achieved a ‘standard’ in something they are developing, and they will follow that example to the best of their ability. Now because of our uniqueness, we will try some tweaking to see if we could improve on that which we are following, but we already know that the principle idea is proven. God had the privilege of looking over time and people to see who had made the best strides in following His commands, and in leading a country, He determined that David was that person. Suppose that God would look at our world and find a current-day success story? Could it be you that he would choose for your peers to look to for guidance and leadership in a godly fashion? Think about it – for those very things that you find extremely challenging to do, someone else has already successfully achieved, and from their testimony, you are aware that they depended on God through their whole mission. and remained faithful to Him. Will you have a degree of faith in following that person? Friends, let’s always be aware that we serve a God who placed the stars just right in the evening sky; He not only gave us eyes to look at those stars, but He also created our whole being. Those are pretty complex and amazingly wonderful things, aren’t they? Then remind me again why you think that He can’t handle your most difficult and complex situation? One big reason that we meet together as God’s church, is to share with each other the success stories in our relationship with God. If someone else has been successful in achieving a part of God’s plan, then we should flock to them and find out what they attribute their success to, because we want to follow that plan. God knew of David’s success, so He expected the same from all other kings who tried to fill the same role. You might be another ‘David’, where others are following in your footsteps. Please be sure that you seek God’s face every day, so that you could remain strong, faithful and always in a thankful and praising mood. God is able, and always faithful to those who love Him and are faithful to obey His commands. Oh that we may please Him in all that we do and say as we represent Him faithfully every day! |
|
| PRAYER: | |
| Dear Lord, I believe that through this Scripture, You have reminded us to be faithful to You in all things and to be obedient to all Your commands that You put in place as a guide for our journey. In doing these things, we will not only please You, but we may help in guiding others who are floundering. Thank You Lord for placing us together as a body of believers (the church) – a support arm for each other so that Your church might be strong and bold in our witnessing to the lost in our communities. Oh that we may be found faithful when Jesus calls us home to Himself! |
|
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |