The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – 2 Chronicles 1:1-13 (day six)

There in front of the Tabernacle, Solomon went up to the bronze altar in the Lord’s presence and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings on it.

⁷ That night God appeared to Solomon and said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” 2 Chronicles 1:6-7

The progression is clear, from 1000’s of sacrifices at the altar to receiving word from God. Worship at the tabernacle in Gibeon illustrates that kind of beautiful movement towards God; we can only move towards him through repentance and atonement.

This highlights something else for us. The forgiveness we receive through Jesus, our once for all sacrifice, restores our relationship with God. The kind of relationship where God speaks to us, and we speak with him.

Repentance and atonement is never the end goal, restoration to our Father in heaven is; knowing the one true God and the one who he sent, Jesus. (John 17:3)

Re:Verse passage – 2 Chronicles 1:1-13 (day five)

Many of you might remember an ad campaign that ran over twenty years ago with two simple words, “Got milk?” It was a simple, yet memorable phrase that was seemingly etched into so many commercials, newspaper and magazine ads, and billboards all across the nation. Even as a young kid, I remember watching those commercials thinking that I needed to drink milk every time that I saw an ad for it!

The premise behind the TV commercials was simple: the people selling the milk wanted you to think that you needed milk, and that having it was the only way to make whatever situation you were in, a better one. Milk-needy people in the commercials would search and search until they found a source of milk, only to find that the source of the milk was empty. Then, a voiceover and big letters on the screen would ask, “Got milk?”

When I read 2 Chronicles 1:1-13, I am reminded of the “Got milk” ad campaign. I can just imagine Solomon coming to the realization that he was severely lacking in wisdom to lead the kingdom of Israel. But Solomon knew where the source of wisdom was. He knew that God was the only source for an infinite amount of wisdom, and so he asked for more. Do you lack wisdom? Where do you search for wisdom and when was the last time you asked for more of it?

– Jimmy Gunn

Re:Verse passage – 2 Chronicles 1:1-13 (day four)

Solomon recognized who had made him king…it wasn’t his father David, it wasn’t the Israelites, it was God.  He also recognized the huge task before him of ruling this mass of people.  Solomon had no doubt been raised in the lap of luxury…wanting for nothing.  Now though, faced with the responsibility of making the decisions that would affect all of the Israelites, Solomon turned to his God.  When God offered him whatever he desired, Solomon requested wisdom to rule.  To Solomon’s credit, this was a very wise answer…reflecting his training and heritage.

How would we respond to such an offer?  Winning the Publisher’s Clearing House drawing would be nice…houses and lands…longevity and good health…certainly our culture pushes us to such self-gratifying rewards.  Wisdom and knowledge, obedience and discernment, kindness and love…how could we best serve our God?  The answers to a question like God asked are answers of the heart.  Solomon had prepared his heart prior to God’s question by worshiping his God.  How are you preparing your heart…should you be asked a question?

Re:Verse passage – 2 Chronicles 1:1-13 (day three)

“I will also give you riches, wealth, and honor…”

The lure of the underdog narrative can command our attention to such a degree that we start to believe that underdogs always win. They don’t. They often have something to teach us about perseverance, faith, hope, and humility, but they don’t command the voice, influence, and authority it takes to shape a society. In fact, the tragedy of the underdog is this: If that person possessed social power equal to character, the kind of triumph that could result would leave a legacy capable of determining the course of history for generations. As it is, though, the world often suffers at the hands of those possessing vast resources but little understanding. “May I learn wisdom at least equal to my net worth for the sake of those I might influence” is a worthy prayer.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Chronicles 1:1-13 (day two) Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours? vs. 10

It is an old saying in ministry, but one worthy of repetition: God does not call the equipped, he equips the called. One of the best assessments that Solomon made of himself at the outset of his rule was his inability to rule without God. This kind of humility is often difficult to find as people gain power and authority. Solomon rightly discerned that his kingship was not a right, but a responsibility handed to him by God himself, and to effectively reign he must recognize his reliance on God. The same is true for us. Whatever the Lord has placed in front of us is not a test to see if you are worthy, it is an opportunity to ask for the Lord to strengthen your hands, your, heart, and your resolve for the task at hand.

Re:Verse passage – 1 Chronicles 29:1-11 (day seven)  

“Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?” vs 5b

What exactly was David calling his people to commit to? It was more than a tithe. It was a commitment of one’s whole self to the Lord. Tithing was a byproduct of the commitment, but what he is really asking is for them to set themselves apart and be wholly committed to be holy. New Testament language would call this sanctification. It is a lifelong process of devoting oneself to the Lord and growing closer to Him. It is not a one time gift or decision. David wants this to be a lifelong commitment. He knows the health of the country and the success of his son are directly correlated to each individual’s personal consecration. If every person does their part, the whole will succeed.

The same goes for the church today. We ask,”Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?” We are stronger when you grow. We are stronger together.

Re:Verse passage – 1 Chronicles 29:1-11 (day six)  

The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,  and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? Jeremiah 17:9

David did. This is why he prays, “Lord,…see to it that their love for you never changes.”

God is infinitely worthy of all our worship, our energy, our time, our devotion because he is infinitely holy and good and beautiful and majestic. When we capture even the smallest fraction of this reality we are consumed by him, and worship becomes as effortless as breathing. BUT our hearts are desperately wicked; we quickly forget the glory of God’s holiness and become enamored by the lackluster corrosion of our own brokenness.

Wickedness is blindness. It’s forgetfulness. Wickedness is a warped mind thinking God is mundane or nothing at all.  Wickedness is exchanging being enchanted by him, to being mesmerized by dead and dying things.

Without God’s help our hearts are always pulled by the gravity of our own wickedness. This is what Jesus meant by the truth will set you free.

Re:Verse passage – 1 Chronicles 29:1-11 (day five)  

“Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the LORD with a whole heart, and King David also rejoiced greatly.”  Previously, Davis has used this assembly meeting to challenge and commission Solomon to the work of building the temple. Now he addresses the leaders and other peoples of the assembly. I wonder if they were intimidated by “how much” David was contributing to the project.  Probably no one had that kind of wealth. I wonder if they had any reservations about their new leader who David describes as young and inexperienced.  I wouldn’t put that on a resume.

David then leads them to the secret of giving-  giving from the heart. When giving is made from the heart, instead perceiving obstacles and hardships, eyes are opened to the reality and opportunities of the Lord’s character and His work. The scripture says the people rejoiced  I wonder if that joy replaced any fear or uncertainty.

May we give and serve our Glorious God with our whole hearts!  May God bring us that kind of joy as we give and serve Him!

Re:Verse passage – 1 Chronicles 29:1-11 (day four)

So that we can put the value of the offering given for the Temple in perspective…the gold given by King David and the Jewish leaders, in today’s economy, would be $207,000,000.  The silver would be valued at $1,989,000.  This is a total of nearly 209 million dollars…just the gold and the silver!  Quite an offering!

David recognized though that all of the resource came from God to begin with.  He had provided the offering.  Verse 16 says, “O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and all is Yours.”  Verse 18 follows with the purpose of the offering…it was to direct their heart to God.  (verse 18)

Good times and prosperity, hard times and need, joy, sadness, comfort or discouragement…all of our experiences are designed to lead us to God.  The privilege of giving was to direct the worship of the people towards God.  Is giving to God’s work a joy or a burden to you?  Do the difficult things in life turn you to God?  Giving is an act of the heart, not the wallet!