May 30, 2012 …. Using God’s Providence for HIS Glory

Passage of the Day: Today’s Chronological Bible Study: 1st Kings, Chapters 3-4 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
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Reference Passage: Reference passage for Today’s Bible Study: Deuteronomy 17: 14-20 … To study this passage go to this link -
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Highlight Passage : 1st Kings: 3: 11-12 … 11 So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this [i.e., wisdom] 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.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." 
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Highlight Passage #2: 1st Kings: 4: 29-34 … 29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.30 Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.31 He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations.32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five.33 He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish.34 From all nations people came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom. 

My Journal for Today: Today, in my chronological read through Scripture, I was led to read about Solomon’s early rule in 1st Kings, chapter 3-4; and this reading is filled with paradoxical contradiction. In the first highlight passage above from 1st Kings 3: 11-12, we read of Solomon being given the option by God’s providence of having anything that God could/would provide, including power, wealth, etc. However, Solomon chose to receive WISDOM from God; and God favored Solomon, making him the wisest man on earth as God’s king over His people. In fact, as we read in the second highlight passage, copied above from 1st Kings 4: 29-34 we read that people and rulers came from all around the middle east at the time to see how Solomon ruled with the HUMAN wisdom God had given the King.

 And yet, paradoxically, we read early in 1st Kings 3 how Solomon was already making ill-begotten decisions by marrying the daughter of the Egyptian Pharaoh, … the first of hundreds of wives, all human (and selfish) decisions which breached God’s commands/laws which were laid out for any who would become king over God’s chosen people. Use the link above and go to the Deuteronomy 17 passage where these kingly rules were laid out by God; and you will see that even though God gave Solomon all the human brain-power it would take to rule over God’s people and to lead Israel as a nation, he (Solomon) did not exercise that God-given prowess wisely.

And isn’t that the same human paradox that we Christians have in these New Covenant times? According to the Apostle Peter, inspired by God in Scripture (see 2nd Peter 1: 3-4) … 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.  ,,, And even with God’s imparting to us everything He gave to Solomon, don’t we blow it in life just like he did?

And if you’ve read the book of Ecclesiastes, which was Solomon’s chronicle of confession on how he did not choose to use his God-given wisdom wisely, we see that just because God gives us what we need to reflect His holiness and love in this world and our lives, we still have the responsibility to CHOOSE to use it as God instructs we use His providence … FOR HIS GLORY! And as God instructed Solomon (and any king or leader of God’s people), we need to use God’s Book of the Law, i.e., His word - Scripture, for us to be able to make Godly choices and live Godly lives. You can read those instructions, which Solomon most certainly had, in the Deuteronomy passage, linked above. And these were the same instructions given to Joshua when he was given God’s instructions for leadership in Joshua 1: 8; and that is to be in, stay in, and live by God’s word. Because, … when anyone, and especially God’s leaders, do that, God will bless them with His own success and prosperity in the tasks God lays out for us to accomplish (i.e., God’s will for our lives).

HOWEVER, my dear co-reader, the opposite is also the case. When we DO NOT annex and employ God’s word, gleaning His will, and living His way, we will fail in being His witnesses and shining His light in this ever darkening world. THEREFORE, it is my desire (and my prayer today) to be all what I can be – for my God’s glory – by doing all I can to live in/from His word so that I can seek His will and live by His way, becoming the light which my Savior commanded me to be (see Matt. 5: 16) so that I can glorify my Father in Heaven.

My Prayer Today: … Lord, thank You for giving me what I need to live in Your purpose for my life. Now, help me to seek Your wisdom out in Your word, and to live by it EVERY DAY of my life. Amen