King Solomon: Partial Obedience is Disobedience

Synopsis of King Solomon’s reign.

v  1 Kings 1:29-30: Solomon was God’s choice as David’s predecessor.

v  1 Kings 2:1-5: David charged Solomon to observe the law of the Lord. Trust in God and obedience to God’s Word was the key choices that would bring Solomon, his family and Kingdom success.

v  I kings 3:7-12: Solomon requested for wisdom, and God gave him a wise and a discerning heart.

v  I Kings 3:1: But Solomon disobeyed God and got into an alliance with Egypt by marrying Pharaoh’s daughter.

v  I Kings 9:3-9: At the halfway mark of Solomon’s reign, the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time. He reminded him of His faithful covenant but still warned him against turning away from His ordinances.

v  1 kings 9:10- 1 Kings 11: Solomon turned away from God. The wisest man foolishly ignored God’s commands, married 700 wives and acquired 300 concubines. These women turned him away from worshipping God. He combined the worship of God with that of other gods and goddesses, those preferred by his wives.

v  Deuteronomy 17:14-20: Solomon also amassed great wealth for himself, contrary to God’s commands.

v  I Kings 11: God raised adversaries against Solomon and the Kingdom of Israel got split.

Ø1.     Do the pressures and pleasures of this life distract us from God and His goodness? Do we obey when it's convenient to? Who truly is God in our lives? Is it Self? Or Children? Or Spouses? Or Careers and businesses? Or is it God?

True wisdom loves and desires God above everything.

2.    Is our love for Jesus slowly fading away?

God revealed Himself to King Solomon early in His life. Perhaps God blessed you with believing parents, friends, neighbors, etc., but can we say that our love for Jesus grows stronger?

Sin is subtle. Falling is always a slow fade.

3.    Do we genuinely pursue God or are we fixated on His gifts to us?

No privilege, power, person or possession must be more precious to God’s people than God.

To spurn God’s grace for the empty pursuit of material things brings heartache and shame.

4.    How do we define success?

King Solomon tragically abandoned God’s glorious plans for self-indulgence, sensuality, and pride.

True success is contentment with God.

5.    Does God indeed keep His promises?

God is a promise keeper. He vowed to give David an everlasting kingdom and although the 10 tribes of Israel were torn away from his lineage, for David’s sake Judah remained and Jesus Christ, Judah’s descendant was born.

God is faithful, slow to anger, abounding in love, keeping His promises for generations.

Lots of Love,

Shikoh 💕💕

Beauty is an Inside Job

A Beautiful woman is a woman who fears God. She has an opportunity to be a great influencer at home, at work, and in society. The glaring beauty of her spirit clothes her with strength and dignity and inspires her to speak with wisdom and faithful instruction (Proverbs 31:26). 

This woman understands that physical beauty is of some value, but, she also knows that godliness has value for all things. She discerns that; charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised (Proverbs 31:30). And because she is full of wisdom, she pursues God with every ligament within her being.

On the contrary, a woman who does not know God trusts in her own wisdom and understanding, and chases after the wind in pursuit of beauty. Instead of pursuing the purity, radiance and selfless nobility of Christ-centeredness, she pursues a sensual standard of pop-culture, conforming to the patterns of this world.

We have placed a high degree of importance on physical appearance. We are obsessed with physical beauty, and, unfortunately, place a high emphasis on physical beauty and neglect the most crucial element of a woman’s beauty, which is to fear God and to hate sin.

We are all beautiful—God looked at what Eve and said she was perfect. We were designed to be attractive, and Adam confirmed this. However, the physical side of beauty is just a small part of what makes a woman truly beautiful.

Beauty is an inside job. True beauty is internal. It is not anchored on outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes, but it springs from the inside, it is the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight (1 Peter 3:3-4). This beauty is manifested in terms of character rather than appearance.

A beautiful woman teaches her heart and her children to fear God. Her soul is completely surrendered to and consumed by Jesus Christ, and her life is eagerly poured out for His sake. This woman retains Honor

I hope that you’re encouraged to take your inner beauty more seriously. Whether we chase after fashion trends or not, and whether we get a facebeat or remain plain-Jane is a personal choice. God chose us to be Holy (Ephesians 4:1) – and not (externally) beautiful.

Don’t just be a pretty face!!!!!

The Scandal of Grace

Scripture Reference: 2 Sam 7:1-20 and Luke 5:1-11

2 Sam 7:1-20
After moving the royal residence to Jerusalem and transporting the Ark of the Covenant to this new royal capital, David seeks to build a temple for God; a suitable action for a new king looking to honour his Lord. God, however, explains that David’s son would be the one to build the temple.

Additionally, in His love and grace, God promises to establish a lasting dynasty for David and his progeny: Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever" (2 Samuel 7:15-16).

David, overwhelmed by God’s unmerited favour sits still in grateful supplication amazed at how a Sovereign God would lavish that manner of kindness on a mortal being like him 2 Samuel 7:18. 

In 2 Samuel 7:20-29, David worships and blesses the Lord, and believes that God would bring His Word to fulfilment

Luke 5:8

Simon and his partners, in obedience to Jesus, cast their nets into the deep sea and miraculously harvest huge quantities of fish that their boats begin to sink. This miracle at once strikes Simon with the consciousness that he is, in some way, not knowing how in the presence of the supernatural. This is immediately followed by a quick spasm and sense of sin, and again by a recoil of terror, and quickly by the cry, ‘Go out of the boat; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’

Now, parallel Simon's and David's reaction to God's grace. David sits in awe, grateful supplication and solid hope, Simon is caught up in deep fear and guilt. 

Just like Simon, we also fall into the same trap and try to get rid of thoughts which evoke these uncomfortable feelings of being impure and in peril. The consciousness of our demerit once evoked, issues in one of these two things;

• Either we move further into the darkness to get away from the light
• Or we draw nearer to Him, and at His feet, to find cleansing. 

May this Grace lead us to the full knowledge of Him who’s able to; cleanse us from our peril, keep us from stumbling and to present us before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy