READ: 2 Chronicles 6:12-18
(12-16)
Before the entire congregation of Israel, Solomon took his position at the
Altar of God and stretched out his hands. Solomon had made a bronze dais seven
and a half feet square and four and a half feet high and placed it inside the
court; that’s where he now stood. Then
he knelt in full view of the whole congregation, stretched his hands to heaven,
and prayed:
God, O God of Israel, there is no God like
you in the skies above or on the earth below, who unswervingly keeps covenant
with his servants and unfailingly loves them while they sincerely live in
obedience to your way. You kept your
word to David my father, your promise.
You did exactly what you promised--every detail. The proof is before us today!
Keep it up, God, O God of Israel! Continue to keep the promises you made to
David my father when you said, "You'll always have a descendant to
represent my rule on Israel's throne, on the one condition that your sons are
as careful to live obediently in my presence as you have."
(17)
O God, God of Israel, let this all happen --
Confirm
and establish it!
(18)
Can it be that God will actually move in our neighborhood? Why, the cosmos itself isn't large enough to
give you breathing room, let alone this Temple I've built.'
THINK: King Solomon, son of King David, built the
famous temple to the Lord on Mount Zion in Jerusalem as a gathering place for
the Jews to worship Yahweh. It took him
years to build this temple, and at its completion he assembled all the people
for a public dedication. To dedicate
something is to set it aside for a special purpose. As you read the dedication prayer of Solomon,
notice the gratitude and the humility of the king as he prays.
What precious aspects of your life
(for example, people, positions, locations, important events, yourself) do you
need to set solely aside for the Lord as a public reminder that all you have
belongs to God? What would it take for
you to do that…and with the attitude of Solomon?
One
thing that has been difficult for me over the course of this past year is
remembering the words of a picture I saw once that says: "Don't pluck up in doubt what you
planted in faith." This has applied
to my life in so many ways this past year, but in the pursuit of my education,
I have really had to cling tight to those words. When all this mess started, my plan was to
continue with my education until it was done, and then, use it. I had no idea what else to do. I still don't, most of the time. What I do know is that every time I've set
out to get a job, something has happened to get in the way. I'm not talking about part-time work, that'll
allow me to make a little extra cash.
I’m talking about full-time employment so that I can fully support the
family. Surely, that's what an
able-bodied person ought to do. Yet,
every time I've put in an application, I've been passed over. I've been close on two or three jobs, and
something has happened - at the last minute - that stopped me from getting the
job. I still have applications
out. I'm still looking. But…my practicum starts in the spring, and my
internship in the summer. And both of
those are going to need to be paid, or else God is going to have to open other
doors that I'm not able to see right now.
PRAY: Write out a prayer of dedication to God for
an individual, situation, event, or position.
Dear
Heavenly Father, only You know the plans you have for me right now. I wish I did, but something tells me that I'd
most likely jump the gun and run ahead of your will because I just so
desperately want something resembling normal in my life right now. The thing is:
I've never wanted normal. Not for
my Christian walk. So, please, help me
to trust you with these plans. Keep my
eyes open for the opportunities you are making available to me, and help me to
know when you are shutting doors that I am tempted to try to push through. Though there are so many things I should
dedicate to you and leave them in your ever-capable hands, right now, I am
entrusting my education and my future plans to you. Help me to leave them there, rather than
always trying to snatch them back out of your hands.
In
Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.
LIVE: Keep your dedication prayer so you can
occasionally refer to it. In fact, if
you wish, make a note on your calendar a few weeks from today to reread your
prayer. At that time, think about what's
different in your life due to your dedication.
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