Limited Rewards

 Scripture:

“His son will have one tribe so that the descendants of David my servant will continue to reign, shining like a lamp in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen to be the place for my name.” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭11‬:‭36‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

God had told David that because of his obedience, someone from his family would always rule in Israel. His son Solomon had 1,000 women in his life as king of Israel. Many of these women were from foreign nations, which God had told the Israelites never to do. Solomon ended up worshiping other gods after being influenced by his wives and concubines. He went from the greatest leader and most wise person on the planet to having his kingdom taken away from his descendants and losing 11/12 of the kingdom. This passage tells us that God allowed one tribe to remain under the descendants of David because of his love for David, but all else was lost because Solomon loved women more than God.

Application:

Solomon missed out on God’s best and God’s prophetic word to his father David because he chose to disobey the Lord. God was faithful to David and had one of his descendants on the throne, but it was greatly diminished in size and power because of Solomon’s disobedience. I don’t want t a partial fulfillment of God’s desire for my life. I don’t want my kids to be partially blessed because of my disobedience. I want to live a life that God can bless until I go see Him. I want my generations to be blessed and to see the good hand of God. 

Prayer:

Father, empower me to live a life that obeys You above all else. Help me never to be distracted by other things, but to remain faithful to You and Your word all the days of my life. Let Your blessing be on my family for generations to come. Let my children follow You wholeheartedly. Let my grandchildren follow You wholeheartedly. Let my obedience bring blessing to my descendants.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Wholehearted Devotion

 Scripture:

“and he prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Solomon prayed this prayer in dedicating the Temple to the Lord. He had spent many years constructing a beautiful Temple where the Lord could be worshiped. In his dedication prayer he said, “You keep your covenant and sho unfailing love to ALL who walk before You in wholehearted devotion.”  God sees those who are wholeheartedly devoted to Him and His purposes and He keeps covenant with them.

Application:

God blesses those who are completely devoted to Him and His purposes. Our job is to be faithful to do what He says, His part is to bless the work of our hands. The key is that the work of our hands must be the work He has set for us to do and we must do it with all our heart. God doesn’t want part of us. He wants wholehearted devotion. He doesn’t want leftovers. He wants us to be all in. Our job is to give Him our complete lives in wholehearted devotion.

Prayer:

Father, here I am once again offering You my life. Help me to serve You well and to live in wholeheartedly devotion to You. Help me to discern each step of my life and to follow You completely. Let my answer always be yes, Lord, yes. Help me not to compromise in any area, but to serve You with complete devotion. Let my life be an example of one who is truly devoted to You and Your kingdom. Let me represent You well.

Yours,

Jeff

A Lifetime of Blessing

 Scripture:

“During the lifetime of Solomon, all of Judah and Israel lived in peace and safety. And from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, each family had its own home and garden.” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭4‬:‭25‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Solomon lived in the blessing of God all the days of his life. This chapter records the extraordinary things he accomplished in his life. It was amazing! The country he led as king was in complete peace and safety and each family had its own home and garden. Every need was provided and everyone was blessed who lived in the country.

Application:

When God chooses to bless a person or a nation, it is blessed! When godly leadership use godly wisdom in leading a nation, it is going to be blessed beyond measure. Whatever we lead, we should lead well and give God our very best. We should seek Him and do whatever He asks of us. I long for all of those under my leadership to be blessed and prosperous. 

Prayer:

Father, I ask you to make me a leader with Your wisdom, Your favor, and Your blessing. Let those I lead be blessed in every way. Let their lives prosper. Show me what to do every day. Help me to accomplish all that You put in my heart to do. I want to be more effective for You and Your glory.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Godly Wisdom

 Scripture:

“When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice.” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭3‬:‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Solomon was given great wisdom by God because, when asked by God what he wanted, he asked for wisdom to lead God’s people well. The Lord told him that because he asked for wisdom instead of wealth and riches, he would have both. In this passage we see the people in awe of his wisdom. True wisdom from God causes the world to sit up and listen.

Application:

When true godly wisdom speaks, everyone takes notes! I think of TD Jakes. He was a small town preacher in West Virginia when God called him, but today speaks before leaders of nations and they are in awe at his wisdom. We must desire and pursue the right things in life. When we pursue God and pursue wisdom, everything else will fall into place. Wisdom also comes from being well read. We need to read as much as possible to gain wisdom and understanding. 

Prayer:

Father, let me lead Your people with integrity and great wisdom. Help me to know what to do at all times and how to do what must be done. Teach me to walk with the wise. Let my life bring Your glory and honor. Help me to always know what the right next step is.

Your Son,

Jeff

Work and Favor

 Scripture:

“But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Paul got a lot accomplished for the kingdom! He accomplished great things for the Kingdom of God. In his own words, he said that what he was, it was because God poured our special favor on him. He also worked harder than anyone else. He believed that you work as hard as you can and God takes care of the rest. Without God working with us we are useless, but when we work with Him, the potential is unlimited.

Application:

As Mark Batterson often remarks, “We must work like it’s all on us and pray like it’s all on God.” The combination of God’s grace and favor, along with good hard work, is powerful. We must be willing to do our part, and God will do His part. We can accomplish so much more than we think when we worked hard and pray hard.

Prayer:

Father, teach me the balance of hard work and trusting God. I want to live that balance well. I want to be diligent about You and Your kingdom. I want to accomplish all You have laid out for my life. I also know I need Your grace and favor for that to happen. Pour out Your grace and favor on my life and show me what I need to be working on. 

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Live With Others in Mind

 Scripture:

“I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭33‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Paul is writing to the Corinthians here and is speaking about what is lawful and what I practical, especially concerning eating and drinking. His conclusion was that he didn’t do things that would cause offense with someone else. In this particular verse he says he “tries” to please everyone in everything, and doesn’t just do whatever he wants. He lived his life with others in mind because he wanted them to be saved.

Application:

Sometimes we have think of others and how our desires and appetites affect them. Our lives are being watched and we need to demonstrate a life well-lived to those around us. We will never please everyone, but everyone should be in our mind when we make decisions. As a believer, I have to say no to some things that I feel are okay because I don’t want to offend someone who is younger or less mature than I am. I can’t live only for myself.

Prayer:

Father, let me live in such a way that I help people to see Jesus. Help me to live my life as a demonstration of Your love. Help me to live my life with others in mind and not just my personal desires and conclusions. Teach me to love well. Let my life be an example to those around me instead of an offense.

Yours,

Jeff

Sacred Trust

 Scripture:

“If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

In this passage, Paul demonstrates why he didn’t demand payment for ministry, but worked with his hands to provide for himself and those who traveled with him. He said, “I have no choice, for God has given me a sacred trust.” In other words, Paul was entrusted with a sacred gift. God had entrusted him with the ministry of the Gospel and kingdom expansion throughout the known world at that time. Because it was a sacred trust, he worked hard and didn’t make excuses. 

Application:

God has entrusted certain gifts, dreams, and abilities to our lives. Our job is to use them as effectively as possible to advance the kingdom of God. We are not to complain about our pay, our resources, or anything else. We should do the best we can with what we have because we have been given a sacred trust. I must ask myself, “Can God trust me with His vision for my life or will I let it derail because things are not going the way I envisioned?” I am to war hard as a servant of the Lord to accomplish all He has for me.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are incredible and worthy of my praise. Help me to be a good steward of everything You have entrusted to me. Let me accomplish everything You have planned for my life. Teach me to work hard and be faithful in all areas. Teach me not to complain about what I don’t have, but to be faithful with what I do have. 

Forever Yours,

Jeff