I KINGS

Today is Thursday.  Last night, our people gave me a surprise birthday party with gifts.  My birthday is Saturday, the 1st, but they sprang it on me early.  They got me a I-Pad II, with a wireless headset, and all of the extras that go with an I-Pad II, like screen protector, case, etc.  What wonderful people!  What a blessing!  I love them so much.  I'm reading in I Kings and here are a few thoughts:

1) SHEW THYSELF A MAN- David is old and about to pass away, but he tells his son to be a man in I Kings 2:2 "I go the way of all the earth:  be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man:"  Every man can be challenged by that one phrase to "shew thyself a man".   But, what does it mean to be manly?  Well, verse three goes on to say:  "And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:"  So, to be a man is to walk in obedience to God's Word and as a results God makes us to prosper in whatever endeavor we do.  So men.... let us shew ourselves to be men of God!

2) WHAT'S YOUR ONLY?  Men and women of God are only men and women.  We are not perfect, but at times quite human to our own frustration.  In I Kings 3:3, we read:  "And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father:  only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places."  Now, Solomon followed God's laws, but not perfectly.  The Bible says regarding King David:  1 Kings 15:5  "Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite."  So, we see that very good men, and women, were only men and women.  What is your only?  I'm not saying don't work to remove that "only", but also realize that God will use you even when you are not perfect.  He will work to remove that "only" from your life, but don't think you cannot serve Him.

3) THINGS CAN MOVE SLOW- The work of God is not always built in a day, nor can you judge it by what is worked out in a few years.  Great works take time, and a move of God can take many years to build up and be accomplished.  The old saying is that Rome wasn't built in a day.  Well, here is what I Kings 6:2 tells us:   "And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD."   God had the tabernacle in the wilderness, and a house for Him was to be built in the promised land, in Jerusalem, but it took 480 years after they came out of Egypt!  Wow... it took a lot of time!  Don't rush God's work... let it grow with His timing.  Be patient, God is working behind the scenes to make us more of what we ought to be. 

Well, just three thoughts today!  Hope you have a wonderful, rewarding, blessed day.  Pastor Mike Mutchler