May 21

Today’s Reading - Psalm 120-123

(Psa 121:1-2 KJV) I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. {2} My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which gives the Christian a great encouragement in tough times. In the first verse it seems like we are to look to the hills when we need help. But this is only a symbol of the strength and grandeur of God. Whenever we look at mountains or hills, we see a certain beauty attached to them. We also see a certain strength to the mountains. But the next verse describes where our actual help comes from and that is the Lord. God is so wise because every time I see a mountain or hill, I always think of this passage. This is why God uses earthly pictures because we are visually stimulated. (Psa 48:1 KJV) Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. The mountains in these passages represent the Kingdom of God. Because mountains are high above the plains of the earth, so the Kingdom of God is high above all the other kingdoms on earth. The Christian is to find their spiritual solace in the Kingdom of God and not in any organization or person on earth.

The strength the believer has comes from the Kingdom of God of which every believer is a part of and which the Holy Spirit is building until the last one becomes saved and then the end will come. Until that time we are to receive the strength we need from the Kingdom of God. As a matter of fact, in the last days we will be relying more on the Kingdom of God as apostasy begins to be the rule and not the exception. We are living in that day now where the believer must be on guard concerning the teachings which we are being bombarded with. These teachings may come from the church, radio, TV, Internet, or word of mouth. In fact in the end times God tells us that we will be “fleeing to the mountains” in the days of apostasy. Of course, this does not mean that we must pick up and physically flee to the nearest mountain range, it means we now rest in the Kingdom of God where we will have unadulterated truth from the Word of God without any admixture of false teachings. As we approach the last day, false teachings will increase and it behooves every Christian to seek the purest teachings from Scripture so they will not be deceived into a false gospel and then be found fighting against the truth. Notice this verse makes clear distinction which God we are to flee to. The one who made heaven and earth. In the New Age movement there are once again cropping up a pantheon of gods. Channeling, spirit guides, ancestor worship, and such are used to draw away anyone who is open to the occult. In Christianity, there are captivating teachers who draw people with promises of great wealth and health, getting their eyes off of the true gospel. This is why God wants us to flee to Him when the apostasy comes knocking on our door. He wants us to know that in the midst of apostasy, the true believer has a place of spiritual repose. God Himself!

May 22

Today’s Reading - Psalm 124 -126

(Psa 125:2 KJV) As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which is a continuing thought of the verses we read yesterday. We saw that the mountains represented the strength of the Kingdom of God and according to Psalm 48:1, the city of God, was in the mountain of His holiness. Of course, the city of God is the body of believers resting in holiness. But in today’s verse we see that God has used the mountainous regions which surround the physical city of Jerusalem as a picture of how He is going to protect His people forever. This almost sounds like a strange statement since we hear of the persecution of Christians on a world wide basis. Yet, God says that He is going to surround us. Remember the accusation Satan made against Job? That God set a hedge around him and therefore no one will be able to touch him to test him. Satan believed that if he could touch his body with sickness, then Job would cave in and curse God. Well Satan learned a valuable lesson concerning the children of God. What God sets Himself to protect is what He has redeemed. God did not redeem the physical bodies of His children, if any Christians die before the return of the Lord, then those bodies will be resurrected upon His return. What God did redeem is our souls. In other words, at this point, if you are a true Christian, you have received your resurrected soul so that you may be alive unto the Lord and dead to sin.

When we did not have the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we were spiritually dead but physically alive. This situation allowed you to basically do anything you wanted to without a bout with your conscience. When you became a child of God, your soul was now made alive by the Holy Spirit. You were made holy by the Lord and this is the reason that when sin enters the picture of your life, you will have a bout with your conscience, which is now the person of the Holy Spirit. Notice the verse says “for ever.” God has chosen to look at the bigger picture in protecting His children. There are times on earth when we may face a dangerous situation and God will intervene and deliver us, but that deliverance is only temporary. We can easily glean temporal events from the likes of Peter and Paul, whom God delivered from many earthly situations. God is not ultimately focusing on the temporal but the eternal. This is where the eternal protection of God comes in. The body of believers will be totally under the protection of God, and sin and Satan will never more attack and tempt the believer. If our glorified bodies are going to be like the post-resurrection body of the Lord Jesus Christ, then neither the flesh or the spirit will ever see corruption again. For we are now fit and qualified for the Kingdom of God and for eternity, safe under the surrounding power of God.

May 23

Today’s Reading - Psalm 127 - 129

(Psa 127:1 KJV) Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which is a very popular one. It speaks of the Lord building the body of believers and watching over them. It kind of dovetails what we read yesterday. There is a spiritual dimension to this verse which we need to look at. There are many churches out there who are bringing people into the fold just to build the size of the congregation. They are marching them down the aisle and telling them to say some kind of a prayer which they are then told that they are saved. The problem is that the majority of people in many churches are not saved. You see, when man creates his own systems and tries to build the house, the end of it is disaster. There are going to be many surprises on Judgment day. Many are going to wonder why they are going to be cast in hell. They will reason that they said a prayer and walked the aisle and that should have been witness enough for their salvation. You see that is man building the house. Prayers without regeneration fall on the deaf ears of the Almighty! Before one can sincerely pray to God, they must become saved. What we have today is many people making an earthly regeneration in their life. They are turning from secular humanism to religious humanism. This is not the salvation of the Bible. This is why the Scriptures tell us that it is the Lord who must do the saving and not us or else it is total vanity.

Earthly regeneration teaches us that we must love and respect our fellow man, which is good, but it neglects the spiritual regeneration which is required for the building up of God’s house. We see earthly regeneration alive in many churches. Just look at the denominational death chambers which are more concerned about whales, environmental issues, social issues, and politics. Bring in spiritual regeneration to these kinds of assemblies and you will be pegged “a holy roller,” and ostracized. Earthly regeneration is Satan’s greatest tool in the church because it gets a person feeling good that they did or are doing something. The problem is that earthly regeneration ends at the grave, whereas spiritual regeneration, AKA salvation, is just beginning. God also says that unless He watches the city, it is in vain. God will only watch what is His. As with Job who had spiritual regeneration, Satan could not attack his soul because it was saved and safe in the arms of Jesus. All Satan could do was cause physical discomfort. God was guarding His city which is made up of all the redeemed which He has saved. This is why we see those martyrs going to the faggots rather than forsaking God. God has built them and kept them. If you are a true child of God, then you can be thankful that God has built you and kept you as part of His holy city. (Psa 48:8 KJV) As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.

May 24

Today’s Reading - Psalm 130 -132

(Psa 132:13-14 KJV) For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. {14} This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

In today’s reading we come across these verses which teach us where God has chosen to place His name. In the Old Testament God said that He would place His name in Jerusalem, which was the center of Hebrew worship. Even before the City of Jerusalem became the permanent place of the Israelites after the wilderness wanderings, God met with His people at the Tabernacle. God always had a place where He would meet with His people to give them instructions and receive their worship. Both of these places were temporary, the tabernacle and the Temple. The Tabernacle would go out of use at the end of the wilderness wanderings and the Temple services would be done away with when Christ went to the cross and the animal sacrifices would no longer be needed as a type of the sacrifice of Christ since it was now complete. God was now making a major change. No longer would He just concentrate on one nation anymore but when the first Pentecost came, world evangelization would begin. Notice in our verses we see that God’s rest forever will be in Zion. Well, we know the term rest does not mean actual rest in this case but it is telling us that God will be dwelling forever in Zion.

Zion means “monument or fortress.” It is the symbolic name of the body of believers. This is why God speaks of it in eternal terms. The ceremonial system came to an end at the cross of Christ and it was only a temporal system. The same with the Tabernacle which was only a temporary system. Both of these were foreshadows of the permanent covenant of grace. This is why God is going to dwell eternally in Zion because it is the body of believers which He has redeemed with His own blood. You know, those who believe you can lose your salvation are not understanding the permanency of grace and are stuck in a temporary, works system mindset. Nowhere did God ever say He would leave His children in a temporary quandary, because that is what you would have if you could lose your salvation. God said He was going to permanently dwell among His children and this would mean that God was going to be in the midst of His children on a worldwide basis. Zion is found all over the world. As God saves people in different parts of the world, they become part of Zion and God dwells in Zion by means of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (Psa 2:6 KJV) Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. The king that is set up on the hill of Zion is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is the Shepherd of His people. (Ezek 37:24 KJV) And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. Notice this verse says we “shall” walk in the statutes and judgments of God. Israel could not do this under the Old Covenant of works but under the Eternal Covenant of Grace, all the demands of God’s law has been fulfilled which means we are walking in them already. This is possible because God made us descendants of Zion by means of Grace. With everyone that becomes saved we can say along with the Psalmist. (Psa 87:6 KJV) The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah. Hey, I guess that makes you a Scion of Zion. (No pun intended)

May 25

Today’s Reading - 133-135

(Psa 133:1 KJV) Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

In today’s reading we start off with this verse which speaks of the unity of all brethren. Of course this unity is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Once you leave the foot of the cross, the dogma of diversity takes over. You have many denominations and theological beliefs but those that are truly saved in those denominations are all equal at the cross. If Christians were rounded up and thrown into Concentration Camps, I really do not think, at that point, we would be overly concerned about who believes in the thousand year reign and who doesn’t. We would be Christians and not Methodists, Baptists, Reformed, Presbyterian, Independent, or whatever your affiliation may be. If I would identify with any denomination it would Presbyterian but I was raised in the Reformed church. I have some good friends in the PCA and OPC churches. I have 2 good Pastor friends who are Wesleyan. I have friends in the Baptist Church, Methodist Church, Charismatic Church. Now when we speak of unity of doctrines among the brethren, that will never happen. If there is to be unity among the body of believers it must be unity at the source of all Christianity and that is the cross. Every true believer in every denomination has to have come through the cross or else there is no salvation.

The unity that God would have us build on is the unity in Christ. God is not speaking of the hell-born ecumenical movement which attempts to defoliate the true tree of Christianity by stripping it of its leaves of truth. God speaks of unity in the Lord Jesus Christ. True brotherly love is the mind of the true Christian set on affection for the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not based on the education god which has bankrupted true Christianity with all its convoluted beliefs and has caused many to stray. (Phil 1:4-5 KJV) Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, {5} For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Notice the Apostle Paul speaks of the fellowship coming in the Gospel. It is not in what we are taught, but the unity of the believers comes into effect in the area of salvation. Notice in verse 2 how the precious ointment flows from the head of Aaron even to his garments. Christ being the head and we are the garments which reap the precious ointment of salvation. God sees every one of His redeemed children equally, no matter what denomination they are in. Some may hold different doctrines than we do, yet in God’s sight they are His. Our salvation does not depend on what we know, for then it would be a works gospel. Our salvation depends entirely on grace. On that foundation of grace we are to build only with true doctrine. Someone may hold to an erroneous teaching, but if they are truly saved, it will not affect their salvation. It will affect their spiritual growth and if they do not let go of wrong doctrines, then they may remain a spiritual midget all their lives, but because they are God’s redeemed, Heaven will be their home. So today, look at unity, not in the form of doctrine but in the sense of the redeemed of God. There lies the true brotherhood.

May 26

Today’s Reading - Psalm 136 - 138

(Psa 137:1 KJV) By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which has a great amount of sadness attached to it. It speaks of Judah going into captivity because of her sins against the Lord. No one really knows who wrote this psalm. Maybe Ezekiel wrote it since the first verse in this psalm resembles the first verse in the book of Ezekiel. (Ezek 1:1 KJV) Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. It is a sad psalm because it speaks of the sadness which accompanies disobedience. God had sent many prophets to both Judah and Israel to speak to their national sins and their direct disobedience to God in many things. They refused to listen and chose to follow the ways of the world. So in response to their defiance, God gave them their request. Instead of enjoying the world and all its sinful delights as free people, they were going to suffer the wrath of the world as captives. God ordained the Chaldeans to take Judah into captivity as a punishment for their sins. Judah saw what happened to Israel and yet she did not repent, even though God gave her 135 years between the captivity of Israel and Judah’s captivity.

This whole scenario reminds me of how we are. How many times have godly friends and family warned us about not doing something and yet, as rebellious people we still continue on until God steps in and chastises us. Sometimes within that chastisement we may lose something we dearly love. The Jews looked back at the happier times in their homeland but now they were coming face to face with the reality of the reward of sin. They thought that because they had the temple and the Ark, that everything was acceptable and that God would overlook the things they did. They did not realize that sinful living reaps a reward. This is the deceitfulness of sin. Sin makes us blind to our own blindness. In our own personal lives we may be experiencing a reaping of a sinful situation. Sometimes we don’t realize it until we sit down and do a self-examination. One thing about creeping sin in the life of a believer, we may never realize the deceit until we see something go awry in our Christian walk. Then we begin to ask questions as to why there seems to be a series of chastising events in our life. I can guarantee that every believer who is chastened of the Lord will recall times past when they were warned about possible straying but ignored the warning. Whenever a saved person may see something in your life which may cause you to stray and they tells you about it, don’t overlook it but check yourself to see if they are correct. Chastisement can be a lonely ordeal, just read the book of Lamentations and you will see the rewards of sin. If we check in with the Lord daily, and then check ourselves, we should live a fairly stable Christian walk, even in the midst of adversity.

May 27

Today’s Reading - Psalm 139 - 141

(Psa 141:3 KJV) Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which teaches us concerning the restraining of our tongues. We can also upgrade this verse a little bit and it would convey the same principle. “Set a watch, O LORD, before my computer; keep the door of my keyboard.” With the advent of e-mail, it is easier to be a wise guy since the person you would be jumping on is on the other side of the computer instead of standing in front of you. I have been guilty of this many times and I make no excuse for it. The mouth is like a door. If it is not watched, it can open at will but with the watchman standing at the door, it cannot be opened to spew out bad things. Here David is asking the Lord to be his watchmen, so he will not say things which may cause him to sin. I am sure David remembers how awful the words were that he used when he sent Uriah to the front lines so he would be killed. This was the literal power of life and death found in the tongue. As Christians we want to make sure that our speech is God glorifying at all times. (Col 4:6 KJV) Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. Whenever salt is mentioned in Scripture it speaks of Judgment. This is how we are to use speech. This is why we never react to a situation hastily, especially in words. God wants us to use speech wisely and that requires a stable mind, not one that is in emotional turmoil.

Whenever we think of judging ourselves, we always think of salvation. What we neglect many times is judging our words or actions to see if they line up with how a child of God should act. In other words, you are born again, but are your actions born again? Sometimes we focus solely on our spiritual being but we never introspect ourselves to see how we are coming across to others. If an unbeliever knew you before and after salvation, what kind of a difference would they see in the two states? This is why God wants us to check our speech because that is normally how we make our first impressions on people. Sometimes we will be judged not only on what we say, but how we say it. Do you remember Peter’s staunch defense of his loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ? (Mark 14:29 KJV) But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. What happened next? Peter denied the Lord three times. We must never try to anticipate the future in a prideful manner. I think each of us have probably seen a few episodes of the Honeymooners with Jackie Gleason. Well, if you notice in almost every episode, Ralph Kramden was always boasting about something he was going to do or be, and what was the outcome? He went back to driving a bus the next day. God does not want our speech to get us into some type of trouble. This is why we are to check what we say and filter it through the Holy Spirit who will give us the proper words to say. When I was in management, I prayed many times for the right words to say in meetings I directed, especially when upper management was in attendance at those meetings. You did not want to make any inane promises which would come back to bite you later. In the same manner with our spiritual speech, we don’t want to say anything which may come back later to hurt our spiritual testimony. (Psa 39:1 KJV) I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. This verse is a great one to paste at your desk at work. If there is one group that can draw you into sinning with the tongue, it is the unbelievers. Ask the Lord to be your watchman today!

May 28

Today’s Reading - Psalm 142 -144

(Psa 144:1-2 KJV) Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: {2} My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.

In today’s reading we come across these two verses which contain the word “my” nine times. When we look at them, we can apply them to our lives and claim them for our own. We can identify with David knowing the times of hardship he went through and how he looked to the Lord as his only sustenance in a time of need.

My strength - David sees God as the source of all strength. Many times we go through the day and it saps our strength at an early hour. That is the time when we need to seek the Lord and ask Him for re-strengthening.

My hands to war and my fingers to fight - Not only is God the source of our strength, but here David is telling us that the strength God gave him was a focused strength. Since David was a shepherd boy, God taught him the art of war. The art of war is not only for the strong but most wars and battles are won by means of wisdom. No doubt David had this in mind as God is a teacher of not only knowledge but of wisdom which dictates the proper way to use knowledge.

My goodness - The Bible teaches that there is not one that does any good. David is thanking God that through his salvation, God has qualified him to do good. David learned mercy from the Lord and now he is able to be merciful to others in the true spirit of salvation. So the next time you say, “Oh my goodness,” you will be agreeing with David that God is the source of goodness and mercy in your life.

My fortress - The fortress was a place of safety. When someone was inside, they were safe from the enemy outside. As children of God we are on the inside and never to fear the enemy again. God protects His children. Remember the mountains that surrounded Jerusalem?

My high tower - God is also our high tower. He has elevated us unto a lofty position in heaven. (Eph 2:6 KJV) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: A high tower is place where people on the ground cannot reach us and Satan’s people cannot go into heaven to pursue us. There is a great gulf of space between us. It would be like two people trying to shake hands while one is on the sidewalk and another is on the 102^nd floor of the Empire State Building.

My deliverer - For the Lord Jesus Christ Himself delivered us from the penalty of sin by His own sacrifice upon Calvary. We could never deliver ourselves from the snare of Satan or from the pit of Hell, so the Lord Jesus Christ did it all on Calvary in one great atonement on behalf of all He came to save. He delivered us from the final judgment to come.

My shield - When the soldier went into battle, he took with him a shield which when uses in hand to hand combat, would defend himself against a sword. The Lord is our shield in that He takes all the fiery darts of the evil one and quenches them, thus leaving us safe. He comes between us and the forces of Satan thus protecting His children.

Subdueth My people - David had given all glory to God for the victories that he won. He never took those victories as him having won them on his own. If we hand over all our battles to the Lord, then He will subdue the enemies before us. Remember how God shut the mouth of the lions when Daniel was in the Lion’s den? He will also do the same for us as we face our own lions.

What a wonderful two verses we have and we see how wonderfully God takes care of His children in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. MY oh MY!!

May 29

Today’s Reading - Psalm 145 - 147

(Psa 145:5 KJV) I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which teaches us that the testimony or witness of the believer need not be a prepared one. In this verse we read that the Psalmist says that he will speak of the majesty of God and His works. This is the simple testimony of the believer. Sometimes we have this ingrained notion that we all need seminary degrees to do a properly worded testimony. That is the farthest from the truth. Any believer can and should just testify to the things which God has done in their life. Here is an episode in my life where I testify to the mercy of God. One night it was very late and I was driving home on Interstate 287 in New Jersey by my home and fell asleep behind the wheel at about 60 Miles per Hour. My car went into the grass in the middle between the north and south lanes. I believe it was the Lord who woke me up before I got killed. When I woke up, my car I was still going fast in the grass, but I was able to pull it out and continue my trek home with no further incident. When I tell this incident to people, I definitely give glory to God for this wondrous work. This can be the same type of testimony that all believers can give. I am sure there are things, even little things, in our lives which have made differences and even became turning points in our life.

When speaking to people about the Lord, remember we are telling simple people about what the Lord has done for us and we do not need to have every answer available at that time. An old time Baptist Preacher named Dr. B. R. Lakin, was once asked about the greatest thing in his life. At 90 years old he said, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Here was a man that preached most of his life, yet his testimony was a very simple testimony. When speaking of the greatness of the things God has done in our life, they can be grasped in simple terms. If there is one thing that drives me crazy, it is people giving their testimony in religious tone and language. You know what I mean, that wavy, bumpy, border-line crocodile tear type method of speaking of the Lord. God does not want us giving a show, because that focuses the attention on us. When we speak normally but authoritatively about the great works God has done in our life, people will notice that because it is done in sincerity and not for the stage value. In verse 4 of Psalm 145 David tells us that one generation tells the next. This is the reason we give testimonies, to show the practical mercies of the Lord in our life. We always want the next generation to know the glory of God. This is why I cannot stress enough that whenever a missionary is speaking at your church, make every effort to attend. A one hour missionary report, will yield many wondrous works of God but make sure your young ones are there to listen. Each redeemed life is a wondrous work of God and speaks of His majesty. Praise ye the Lord!

May 30

Today’s Reading - Psalm 148 - 150

(Psa 150:6 KJV) Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which ends up the Psalms on a joyous note. It is praising the Lord, whether we do it by just verbal praises or singing songs of praises. Have you ever felt down or discouraged? I know that one of the best things you can do to lift your spirits is to sing the great hymns of the faith. They help us to re-focus our thinking from our problem to the greatness of God, and once that occurs, our problem will take second place. If you have any old hymn books, you better hang on to them because the revisionists are now taking the old hymns and neutralizing them. I remember the hymn “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.” We always sang that hymn at Easter. If you look at many modern hymnbooks, the revisionists have changed it to “Jesus Christ is Risen Today.” They have taken out the deity of Christ and the uniqueness of His resurrection. Why do I say this? There are other resurrections written in Scripture. There was the son of the woman of Nain (Luke 7:11-17). The daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:35-43). Lazarus (John 11:1-46). There are others who came back from the dead and if we take the title of Lord away from Jesus, then He is just equal to the others. The resurrection of Jesus had far more reaching implications for the believer than those others who were resurrected to die again.

It is bad enough the revisionists have boldly attacked the Bible with their “Liar Criticism” but now they are attacking the old hymns of the faith. I wonder when the Christian community will wake up and say “Enough of the chop shop methods.” I love the old hymns of the faith because they contain a reverence which causes our mind to dwell upon the Lord. The praise songs of today tend to minister to the flesh. They have a beat that is akin to secular music and that is why in many churches you see people jumping up and down to the beat of the music. It is quite impossible to be ministered to while you are doing a trampoline act in church. For the Lord to minister to a person, there needs to be a quiet time and there must be a reverent milieu so the Holy Spirit can minister to people. I have personally found it very hard to be ministered to with loud music and excessive bodily gyrations around me. The old hymns contain solid biblical teachings. Even the names of the hymns themselves convey truth. “How firm a Foundation,” “The Church’s One Foundation,” “Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise.” I could name many more but you will find them between the covers of your old hymnbook. You could probably find old hymnbooks at a used book store. The newer ones are being tampered with and revised according to dead theology. So today, grab one of those old hymnbooks and “Praise Ye The Lord.”

May 31

Today’s Reading - 1 Kings 1 - 4

(1 Ki 3:9 KJV) Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

In today’s reading we come across this verse which is probably the wisest prayer in the Bible that any believer can speak. Many times we go into prayer and we bring before the Lord a list of our needs, desires, and petitions for others. There is nothing wrong with this but much of our requesting prayers can be for situations in our life. It can be for a job, spouse, church, or whatever we are seeking at the time we are praying. Solomon gives an excellent example of the essence of a good and proper prayer. Solomon as a youth was placed in the position of ruling the people of Israel and he had a hard pair of shoes to fill. King David had been an established King for forty years and people were probably used to doing things his way. Now enter Solomon, he is David’s son but being a descendent does not guarantee there will be the same measure of performance. There have been many business failures when a parent hands down the business to an offspring and their incompetence shines through as the sun on a cloudless day. Solomon knew he was not up to the task of taking on such responsibility. I am sure that he saw much of the good times as well as the hard times during David’s kingship. He may have felt inferior to the task at hand.