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Listen to the devotional here: https://bit.ly/3yCOgJ3
10 Then David slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David. 11 The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 12 So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established. 3 Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David; only, he sacrificed and offered incense at the high places. 4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the principal high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, "Ask what I should give you." 6 And Solomon said, "You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?" 10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. 14 If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life." (1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 NRSV)
Happy Wednesday, ConCafe Famiy! This is a special day in which to give God glory, dear Friend, so make the most of it! As we pray, let us pray for this request from FUMC-Gonzales: "Please pray for Mr. Delaney Culak. He is severely anemic and receiving a blood transfusion at the ER. He also has COVID and low oxygen. Please pray for his healing." Please pray for one another, and for your own needs.
The soap opera, As the Palace Turns ends today. Our hero, King David died. And was buried in Jerusalem. When Nellie and I were in Jerusalem we toured the excavation that is unearthing The City of David. It was quite interesting including the fact that an indoor toilet was found in the palace. They didn't say if there was an ancient Upper Room magazine or Sears Catalog alongside it! But, the writer says that "David slept with his ancestors, and that he ruled as king of Israel for 40 years; 7 years in Hebron, and 33 in Jerusalem, and the heir to the throne was his son from his wife, Bathseba. this was their second son. The first one, conceived during their rooftop affair died, and Solomon was their child after the first one. We immediately see how this new king is set for the job. Verse 3 from chapter 3 says, "Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David," and adds that different was that Solomon sacrificed and offered incense at the high places; going to Gibeon to sacrifice there at the chief high place for that worship. His custom was to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar, and as a result God visits the new king at night in a dream, and asks Solomon the question so many kids dreamed about ever since they/we were introduced to the idea of getting three wishes from a genie or ONE wish from God. That was the game we loved to play with other friends. Three wishes! I can't honestly remember what were the wishes, beyond of course, the million dollars that we believed was a lot of money back in the day. It's still a lot of money, honestly! What would have been your wishes?
Notice the king's response. He begins with a prayer of gratitude! Solomon remembered all the good God had shown to his father, David. And he thanks God for the reign of his Dad, and for the honor of his being the new king, admitting he did "know how to go out or come in." And he praises the people over whom he reigns, and then asks for "an understanding mind" with which he could rule God's people. His desire was to be able to judge between good and evil. This pleased the Lord, because of all the things Solomon could have asked for, he asked for wisdom. God knows this and even outlines what he could have asked; "because you have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I know do according to your word." And God granted to the young kind "a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you." And guess what? God gave to him, "both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you." And the Lord adds that Solomon should walk in God's way, keeping His statutes and commandments, like his father David, and God would lengthen his life."
Our prayer life may already reveal where our heart is. What three things top the list over which you pray? Does that share with others the kind of person you are? If you're not pleased with what that gives you away, you can change it all. You can ask the Lord for a caring, compassionate heart with which you can pray for the needs of others and how you can better serve Him in ways that bring Him honor and glory. Here's an idea, revisit the Lord's Prayer and see the structure of that prayer. It's short, simple, yet powerful. It honors God and places God at the top of our list, and nowhere in that prayer does it ask for personal honor, personal riches, or extravagent food, nor any kind of wealth or possessions. It does ask for forgiveness and for God to guide us away from temptation and towards God. That model should be our model as well.
PRAYER: God of all, owner of all that is, was, and is to come; bless us with You, and fill us with Your love and spirit so that we can be living witnesses of Your mercy and grace. Our only wish is to grow closer to You; and we pray in Christ Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Become someone's answered prayer today!
Receive my blessings of peace and calm,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
**To hear Sunday's sermon on Psalm 121 from First UMC in Gonzales, click this link: https://youtu.be/fiYl6mc5oYs
