Author: kezha1

Let’s talk about the discipline of prayer…that steadfast, faithful supplication on the behalf of ourselves and others. How you doing with it? Could it be better? Now I’ll be the first to admit that regular and consistent prayer is hard to maintain…and even when I headed up the Prayer Ministry at our Church in Idaho it was difficult to remain diligent. So many times we pray expecting immediate results…and when it doesn’t happen within our timetable, we give up. Or we become really good at telling someone, “I’ll pray for you.” without stopping and praying for them right then. Finally, we become callused and forgetful in our gratitude to our Heavenly Father for answered prayer. Jesus reminded His disciples to, “Always pray and not give up.” (Luke 18:1) So look at the discipline of prayer as having many facets…diligence, gratitude, faithfulness, perseverance, and continuous (without ceasing) that all need to be practiced.

At the beginning of this Chapter we find King Hezekiah near death and the prophet Isaiah coming to him saying, “Put your house in order, because you are not going to recover.” (Isaiah 38:1) But when Hezekiah prayer to God for mercy, God relented. The verses above were written by Hezekiah after his illness and recovery, and after a chance to meditate on it all. For he writes this most unlikely phrase here…”Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish.” Let me add another Scripture to go along with this thought. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11) Many times when we are in the midst of personal hardship and suffering we’re not thinking straight… our minds are clouded over and we lack insight and discernment…and it’s not until time has passed that we can see much clearer exactly what the Lord did through it all. Granted, we may still have to “go through” the hardship, illness, or pain, but remember, God’s affection for us never waned as He preserved our life according to His Word. (Psalm 119:25)

In early Biblical times, rather than remaining silent, God spoke through His prophets in visions and dreams…granting them divine insight into secrets and mysteries, but also giving them the ability to communicate this to His people. “But in these last days” as it says here, the era of prophetic disclosure came to an end. Why? The answer is Jesus Christ. But let me give you an example to show why. Let’s say I’m going to explain to you what it’s like to skydive…the exhilaration of feeling the wind, the anxiety of jumping out of the plane, the excitement of seeing the ground from so high up, the joy when the chute opens and my feet are back on solid ground. Now I can “tell” you all about it, but until you actually experience it for yourself, it’s still remains me just “telling ” you what it’s like. When Jesus came to earth…lived, died, and then rose from the grave, He enabled us to have a relationship with God that required no go between. No longer was it necessary to listen to someone else “telling” us who God was…for we could know Him first hand and experience for ourselves who He was…and even today, anyone can have an intimate encounter with the Lord if they desire, no middleman needed.

“Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him.” (Psalm 115:3) So why do we still think we can somehow manipulate or influence God’s decisions? God does what He does for His pleasure and delight…choosing always His perfect Will and way. The very best thing we can do then is to remember this part of the Lord’s prayer – “Your kingdom come, Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) This Messianic kingdom Jesus speaks of is both spiritual and eternal…His kingdom within us and His kingdom everlasting…both perfectly chosen by God in His flawless plan and purpose for our lives.

The principle being talked about here is God’s law vs the law of sin. It’s kind of like that image of having a angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, each trying to persuade you to do things their way. Paul went on to say, “I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.” (Romans 7:22-23) These two diametrically opposed laws are constantly at war within us…it’s just a matter of who we listen to or not…but as Romans 6:16 warns us, “You are slaves to the one whom you obey.”

Joshua and the elders of Israel had failed to disciple or mentor their successors…thus when all had died there was left this huge void of historical truth about God. This new generation was not acquainted with the plight of their forefathers in Egypt, nor were they familiar with the 40 year journey in the desert or how God had supplied all their needs. And because they lacked this intimate knowledge of God, they succumbed to the false religions of the area. We look across our land today and wonder why so many who were raised in the Church are now so far away from it. The simple truth is found in the lack of discipleship…of a concerted and concentrated effort to bring seasoned Christians together with young people to mentor, encourage, and grow them into strong Believers. Years back this term was called Multiplication Discipleship…the act of mentoring someone in order that they may then mentor someone, and on and on. You may think you’re too old to do the Lord’s work, but mentoring a young Believer with all your wealth of wisdom and Godly insight is like giving into the Kingdom for eternity.

I would guess that all of us at one time or another has felt the crushing weight of affliction, trouble, and loss. It can come to the point of utter devastation when death sounds like a good idea… and frankly, the only way out. But it’s at that point, when we are at the end of ourselves, that God reaches down. When all we can see is blackness… He will bring light and clarity. When all we can feel is despair…He will bring hope and promise. So when suffering overwhelms and suffocates you, remember… God is there.

The question asked is just as deep as it was when this Psalm was originally written…how can a young man (or young woman) keep their way pure? In today’s world of excess, immediate gratification, and debasement it’s even more difficult to maintain self-discipline, purity of conduct, and good decision-making. So the idea here is to use God’s Word as a shield or buffer against the urges to wander. If we read Job 22:21-23 we see the three musts of maintaining God’s Word in our heart. They are: Submit to God, accept instruction from Him, and return to the Almighty when we’ve strayed. God’s command for us all, no matter what age, is summed up well in Deuteronomy 6:5, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

This verse is a study in darkness and light…happiness and unhappiness…hope and ruin. Especially this year as the days have become shorter and shorter I think we all have been suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder. And so we decorate for Christmas…dispelling the darkness with twinkling lights, shining ornaments, and glowing candles. But the world around us needs more than to see superficial Christmas decorations…they need the light of Jesus Christ. When Jesus said, “Follow Me.” it meant so much more than just following Him. It starts with believing and trusting in His death and resurrection…then obeying, learning, and acting according to His example…and finally, it’s in abiding in His fellowship and sharing in His sufferings through self-denial. That’s how we can “shine” in the darkness around us…or as Matthew 5:16 tells us, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds, and praise your Father in heaven.” This darkest part of the year will be for many a very unhappy time. They have lost loved ones, jobs, and hope. So as you follow Jesus you can be that light that brings them promise. For it is written, “The path of righteousness is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” (Proverbs 4:18) Be that light to someone today.

In this Chapter of I Kings Solomon is dedicating the Temple he has built to the Lord. But it tells us in verse 55 that he then stood and blessed the people, reminding them that all other nations would be watching them and their faithfulness towards God. Further warning them, “But your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by His decrees and obey His commands, as at this time. (I Kings 8:61) Other nations might of been impressed by the magnificence of the Temple, but Solomon reminded the people it would be their total obedience and trust in their God that would make the real difference.