"…a still small voice."

Do you hear the still small voice?  Do you hear God whisper in your ear? 

 

1 Kings 19:11-12(NKJV)

Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 

and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

 

In the cacophony of life you have to make an effort to hear the still small life.  How do you do that?  By SEEKING God.  By making an intentional effort to communicate with God throuhg prayer and the study of His word.  By listening to God instead of talking at Him. 

Make an intentional effort to find the still small voice and I guarantee you will hear it! 

 

Who ya going to listen too?

 

This seems like common sense to me.  When God takes the time to communicate with you directly, why would you listen to anyone else on the same matter if it differed from what God told you?

 

In the passage below you have a man of God (prophet) who confronted the king.  Afterward the king invited the man of God to stay and eat with the King.  See the response below.

 

1 Kings 13:6-10(NKJV)

Then the king answered and said to the man of God, “Please entreat the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and became as before. 

Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.”

But the man of God said to the king, “If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place. 

For so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.’” 

So he went another way and did not return by the way he came to Bethel.

 

Seem simple enough.  So the man of God heads out.  Then another guy approaches the man of God and this guy invited the man of God to his house to eat.  The man of God tells him no, God told him not to eat there.  This new guys claims to be a prophet and he says that an angel told him to tell the man of God it was OK if he went back and ate.

Here is my question.  If God is speaking to you directly, why would you listen to what some other person claims an angel told him that directly contradicts God? 

In the story of Joan of Arc, the one time she listened to people instead of God was the time that led her to be burned at the stake. 

So how did it work out for the man of God?  He got killed by a lion!  :)

Who ya going to listen too?  :)

Is this where "mansplaining" originated? :)

I ran across these verses today. Check it out.

 

1 Kings 10:2-3(NKJV)

She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. 

So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her. 

 

If this happened today I think  Soloman would be hounded by some for "manplaining"!  :)

I hope you all have a great week.  Look to God first in all you do and you can't go wrong!

One of my biggest questions for God is…

 

Want to know what it is?

 

Why is there no condemnation of slavery in the Bible? 

 

The whole idea of slavery seems evil to me.  The idea that one human being can own another human being and do anything they want  with that human being is simply abhorrent in my opinion.

 

Yet, I don't see it condemned in the Bible.  In fact the Bible mentions slavery or "forced labor" as a if it is the natural order of things.  Here is the verse from today that prompted this question. 
 

1 Kings 9:20-21(NKJV)

All the people who were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not of the children of Israel—

that is, their descendants who were left in the land after them, whom the children of Israel had not been able to destroy completely—from these Solomon raised forced labor, as it is to this day. 

 

The next verse goes on to say that Solomon didn't enslave and of his countrymen, only his enemies.  So according to Scripture it is A-OK to enslave those whom you defeat in battle?

 

In the NT there is the admonition for slaves to obey their masters and for masters to treat their slaves well.  How come their isn't an admonition to abolish slavery all together?

Just gonna have to add this to the list of questions to ask God when I get there!

He who overcomes!

 

I'm sensing a theme in Revelation 2.  See if you can pick up on it.  :)

 

Revelation 2:7(NKJV)

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’

 

Revelation 2:11(NKJV)

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’

 

Revelation 2:17(NKJV)

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”’

 

Revelation 2:26(NKJV)

And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—

 

He who overcomes!

Overcomes what? 

 

Overcomes the trials and tribulations of life.  Overcomes the attacks on our spiritual lives.  Overcomes the mental battle that we fight between our ears every day.  That battle between faith and fear.

 

What does it take to overcome?  It takes faith!  Faith that if you keeping battling and working God's plan things will work out!  And not just faith in a general cosmic way but faith  in God and Jesus.  Faith that God has your back!

 

Do you have faith in Jesus?  Is he leading your life?  If not maybe it is time to have a little talk with Him.  "Dear Jesus…….."

How do we make our soul "prosper"?

If I remember correctly I used this verse as the basis for the first sermon I ever gave.  It has been one of my foundational verses since that time. 

 

3 John 1:2(NKJV)

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 

 

What exactly does it mean for our "soul to prosper"?

The passage doesn't answer that question but I will give you my take on it.

 

Our soul prospers as we develop and deepen our relationship with God in my opinion.  We can be good people who go to church all the time and never cheat anybody and all of that but is our relationship with God actually growing or are we just going through the motions? 

That is the key difference to me.  To make our souls prosper takes the effort of actually seeking God on a continual basis.  It takes the effort spending time in prayer, not just talking to God but more importantly, listening to Him.  It takes effort to learn how to trust God and follow His lead even when it makes us uncomfortable.  These are the things that will lead to our souls actually prospering. 

 

Make sense?

 

 

 

I didn't realize Solomon was rebelling right from the start!

Through out the Old Testament God uses imperfect people to further God's plans here on earth.    Today's reading brought to light an example that I had not noticed before.  Solomon was imperfect right from the start. 

 

Just to be clear I get the whole Jesus was the only perfect man thing.  That's not what I am talking about here.  Let me give an example. 

Both King Saul and King David were pretty good guys when God started using and blessing them.  God even described David as a man after God's own heart.  As time went by however, both of them faltered.

 

Take a look at this section of Scripture about Solomon.  King Solomon was faltering right from the start.

 

1 Kings 3:2-14(NKJV)

Meanwhile the people sacrificed at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days. 

And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.

Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 

Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 

And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. 

Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 

Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, 

behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. 

And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. 

So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”

 

So Scripture points out that Solomon is doing pretty much what God would have Solomon do except that Solomon is already breaking the rules by sacrificing and burning incense at the high places.

 

Not only that but Solomon is actually at one of the high places doing what God really isn't cool with when God meets with Solomon at the high places!  God doesn't chastise Solomon for being there or for doing what he is doing.  God instead asks Solomon a question and based on Solomon's answer God rewards Solomon with even more!

What are we to make of this?

 

For me it is a bit of confirmation of something I have written about in the past regarding the NT. 

While Paul and others in the NT said to be saved you had to take specific steps (believe in your heart, say with lips, etc), for Jesus it was simply a heart issue.  In one passage Jesus even tells a guy "close enough".  That is what I see in this story about King Solomon. 

 

It's a heart issue.  Don't get too focused on the minor details.  Guard your heart and keep it focused on God and all else will work itself out!

Make sense?