Devotionals

2 Peter is a continuation of 1 Peter, and many believe it was written to address the Christians who were scattered by persecution. Peter wrote to encourage believers, and his message continues to be a message of great hope for each of us as believers. Peter wanted believers to live for Christ, and to beware of false teachers. In today’s passage, he condemns false teachers as “they promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.” (v.19) Pastor Mary’s message yesterday aligns with today’s passage. She reminded us that as children of light, we have a choice each day to choose to remain in Christ’s light or we wander towards Satan’s darkness.

Peter sought to demolish false teachings about Christ’s return within his letters. We know that Christ is returning, and so we must be prepared. The false teachers of Peter’s time are no different than the false teachers of today. Peter reminds us that God is the Creator, and just like in the time of Noah, in the time of Sodom and Gomorrah, in the time of Israel’s exile, etc. God hates sin because it opposes His very holy nature and is the work of Satan. As followers of Christ, we should have great hope in His return. Teachers who shy away from the Truth of Christ’s return, as found in Revelation and throughout scripture, are falsely teaching, as every Word within the Bible is to be learned and applied to our lives. Our spiritual family, at C2C Church, is blessed to learn and grow from Pastor Mary who is a biblically sound teacher that shares the entire Bible and leads by the example of Christ. Brothers and sisters, we must reject false teachings and be living holy lives in oneness with Christ as we remain hopeful for His return.

2 Peter 3 (NLT)

The Day of the Lord Is Coming

1 This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. 2 I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.

3 Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. 4 They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”

5 They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. 6 Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. 7 And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.

8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.

14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.

15 And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— 16 speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.

Peter’s Final Words

17 You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

Prayer: Jesus, as we find ourselves beginning this Advent season, we thank You for being our great hope. We are Your children of light, and we remain hopeful in You. Holy Spirit, help guide each one of us today to share Your hope with someone who needs it. Thank You for shining a light on Your Truth and allowing our hearts to know when Your Word is being falsely shared. Our spiritual Family at C2C Church, under the guidance of Pastor Mary, all stand rooted in You and Your Word, Jesus. We lift all of this to You, Jesus. Amen.

What occupies your thoughts each day? Are you concerned about the future, your job, or preoccupied with the state of our country?  Does fear try to fill your thoughts with “what ifs?” or “when will?”  How about facing death; does it linger in your mind to keep you unsettled and not enjoying the gift of each day? Do you have expectations to know the timeline of the eternal plans of God? I hear many different perspectives of life, faith, present distressing situations, as well as concerns about what the future may hold.  If you become preoccupied over happenings in this temporal realm that are trying to destroy your peace of mind—a gift from Christ—you have misplaced your HOPE.

If we allow our thoughts to be manipulated by negativity, we will certainly struggle with each one of these questions. For this reason, the Apostle Paul instructs believers to take captive every thought that tries to take dominion over the true knowledge of God’s love; we must place our faith in Christ’s promise to never leave us (2 Cor 10:5).  Nothing going on in our lives or in this world is a surprise to the Lord.  Therefore, we do not need to live in fear and worry; we know God through relationship, have chosen to put our hope [confident trust] in His care, ask for what we need to fulfill his will, and believe he will always spiritually prepare us for whatever we face in the future.  

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul has to address the concerns of the early church.  Like unbelievers, these believers have allowed themselves to become worried about many things; especially when Christ will return.  Paul cannot tell God’s people when Christ will return for them, but he clings to the teachings of Jesus so people can be prepared for whenever the Lord does return.  

HOPE: 

• Is the assurance of what is Divinely Guaranteed for Children of the Light 
• Prompts and works to lead us into an Attitude of Godly Expectation
• Encourages an Eternal Viewpoint
• Rests on Christ’s Promises
• Is Built upon FAITH—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses
• Always Perseveres and Endures Suffering
• Hope never bows to despair or negativity; hope bows only to Christ—the Truth.
• The world is like a puzzle telling the story of HOPE and Jesus makes all the pieces fit together and helps us understand where we are and why we need him.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 AMP  The Day of the Lord

1 Now as to the times [wait] and dates, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly well that the day of the [return of the] Lord is coming just as a thief [comes unexpectedly and suddenly] in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety [all is well and secure!]” then [in a moment unforeseen] destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains on a woman with child, and they will absolutely not escape [for there will be no way to escape the judgment of the Lord]. 4 But you, believers, [all you who believe in Christ as Savior and acknowledge Him as God’s Son] are not in spiritual darkness [nor held by its power], that the day [of judgment] would overtake you [by surprise] like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We do not belong to the night nor to darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep [in spiritual indifference] as the rest [of the world does], but let us keep wide awake [alert and cautious] and let us be sober [self-controlled, calm, and wise]. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we [believers] belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope and confident assurance of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us to [incur His] wrath [that is, He did not select us to condemn us], but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died [willingly] for us, so that whether we are awake (alive) or asleep (dead) [at Christ’s appearing], we will live together with Him [sharing eternal life]. 11 Therefore encourage and comfort one another and build up one another, just as you are doing.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for helping us take every wrong and anxious thought captive, so we can continue to live by faith with abundant hope! Jesus, you died to give us the gift of hope, so we must place our confident trust in your promises.  While the world may choose to live in negativity, keep your children of Light focused on your goodness and the grace we can pray for and receive.  Our expectations are in your love, Word, and your promise to fulfill your divine purpose for creation.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Thanksgiving is a time to remember and reflect upon the goodness of God and the blessings we have received over this past year.  No matter what we have experienced in 2024, if we pause to ponder and seek the Lord, we will have an awareness of his abiding love and how he has blessed us with his supernatural goodness in abundant ways. Let’s not forget the internal harvest we have gathered from character-building events this past year alone.  Life with God promises to produce good things in our souls [mind/will/emotions] even when this temporal world dishes out tremendous challenges.  According to the Word, until Christ returns, believers will experience opposition to their faith.  Yet, even then it proves Truth to the world—God with us.

Gratitude should fill our hearts everyday, because we have breath that fills our lungs with life and we have hope that fills our hearts—all of which come from God.  We can know and enjoy God, because of Jesus and his work of salvation and redemption.  Even as I am typing this devotion, I have a sense of God’s good and guiding Presence within me.

In our passage today, David knows the Source of all goodness.  He prays and sings from a heart filled with gratitude for the unfailing love of God to cover and forgive his failures and guide his life in a better direction.  For David, the goodness of God is portioned out as the Lord becomes the perfect Director, Teacher, Savior, Friend, and Forgiver who abundantly imparts compassion and mercy to his children. God does not wait for us to perform perfectly; he simply longs for us to respond to the goodness he offers.  As we grow, we know how to express genuine gratitude for what we have received—we live in ways that please the Father. 

So, I pray you will express Thanksgiving, today, for the goodness of the Lord as you remember this past year.  May gratitude rise up in you—whether you are gathering with family, friends, neighbors or enjoying some quiet solitude—to help you realize when our hearts are right before God and our spirits are in sync with Him and one another, our gratitude presents as a sweet smelling aroma before the throne of grace!  Let’s give thanks to the Lord of lords and the King of kings!  Happy Thanksgiving as you express your gratitude through ongoing acts of Thanks-Living.  Love to you all!

Psalm 25:4-10

4 

Show me the right path, O Lord;
    point out the road for me to follow.

5 

Lead me by your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God who saves me.
    All day long I put my hope in you.

6 

Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love,
    which you have shown from long ages past.

7 

Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth.
    Remember me in the light of your unfailing love,
    for you are merciful, O Lord.

8 

The Lord is good and does what is right;
    he shows the proper path to those who go astray.

9 

He leads the humble in doing right,
    teaching them his way.

10 

The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
    all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for the forgiveness of sin, the privilege of eternal life with you, the ongoing work of salvation to transform us, the love of family and/or friends, the harvest  of your character in our souls, and the abundance and provision of grace you bring into our lives on a daily basis.  We are blessed by you, Lord and we want to thank you from the bottom of our redeemed hearts!  You are so Good.  May we pause to give thanks today, because the ways you have loved us and the blessings you have bestowed are too numerous to count. Holy Spirit, help us to express and reveal our gratitude by helping us with our thanksgiving and thanks-living. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Confusion continues to rise up from the world to defeat Truth. God is not the Author of confusion; Satan wields that sword. So, unless we have the Spirit of Truth living within us, we will find our souls wandering between Truth and confusion. Jesus speaks Truth to believers every single day; therefore, we need to hone our listening skills and spend time in God’s Word so we can understand what the Lord is speaking to our souls. 

In our passage today, Jesus tells his disciples soon he will be speaking clearly to them and not using figures of speech. He will not be separated from them for very long; he will be returning to them in another form. The souls of the disciples have been wandering in confusion even while walking with Jesus. They continue to think of life in temporal terms; they think the Messiah will redeem Israel by defeating Rome and the corrupt political and religious systems. But their understanding is not based on Truth.

Jesus came to overcome sin and death, as well lead his followers into the Truth. As Jesus prepares to return to the Father, he reassures his disciples he will provide a Way for their understanding—the Spirit. They will be able to ask the Father directly for spiritual clarity, as well as everything they need to overcome the world.

Like the early disciples, we must listen to the Spirit of Truth and run the race of proclaiming the gospel of Hope to a sinful and dying creation. The Holy Spirit speaks directly and clearly; there is no confusion coming from the Spirit of God. So, when we feel a sense of confusion, we must pause, get quiet, and be open to hear and receive the Truth.

John 16:25-33 NLT

25 “I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father. 26 Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, 27 for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God [the Father]. 28 Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father.”

29 Then his disciples said, “At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. 30 Now we understand that you know everything, and there’s no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God.”

31 Jesus asked, “Do you finally believe? 32 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the peace we can know and experience with you through the work of the Holy Spirit. We need peace in our souls, because the world is spinning deeper into confusion by the corrupting work of Satan. As your sons and daughters, help us in the Spirit to demonstrate the Truth. Believers hear your Voice and we know your Way to live in the midst of confusion. Help us guard our minds from the confusion permeating the earth, by keeping you as Lord of our whole beings. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jealousy is considered one of the seven deadly sins; it is connected to envy.  Now, I find that description of jealousy interesting, because all sin is deadly to the soul. Every human being can struggle with jealousy.  So, what makes jealousy truly dangerous? 

The mind is fragile and must be guarded, because if wrong attitudes and thoughts are left unchecked, they lead to mental chaos.  Satan’s favorite playground is the mind, so we must guard our minds with all diligence. Jealousy will destroy relationships, lead a person into ungodly actions, cause a spirit of bitterness to take root in the soul, and damage a person’s perspective of our righteous God.   

Comparing ourselves to others is to forget we were uniquely designed by God with special gifts and purposes. Fixating on the successes of others can chip away at our own self-esteem.  Focus on being thankful for who God created you to be—take dominion with righteous thoughts—and soon those unrighteous ones have to flee.

In our passage today, we see the progression of jealousy and its affect on an unguarded mind.  Saul goes from honoring David to trying to kill him. He begins to feel threatened by this young warrior and it is compounded by the fact that Jonathan, Saul’s son, becomes loyal covenantal friends with David. Saul is so eaten up with envy he does not let David out of his sight. 

We note an obvious contrast between Saul and Jonathan when it comes to their relationship with David.  Saul begins to hate David’s success; he experiences hostile feelings and jealousy messes with his mind.  Conversely, Jonathan, as the prince of Israel in line for his father’s throne, recognizes God’s anointing on David and celebrates him. In fact, Jonathan joyfully steps aside and relinquishes the throne to David.  However, things do not end well for Saul, because he allows jealousy to have dominion over his actions until eventually God rejects him.

1 Samuel 18:1-5 NLT Saul Becomes Jealous of David

1 After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. 2 From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. 3 And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. 4 Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.

5 Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike.

6 When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals. 7 This was their song: “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!”

8 This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for making each one of us unique and valuable to the work of your Kingdom.  Help us to celebrate your gifts in one another instead of comparing ourselves.  Your children are stronger when we work together with you and one another.    One gift is not more important than another; each gift is the work of Jesus.  So, help us cast down every wrong thought the enemy tries to feed us and replace it with a right one.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

It is believed that in Psalm 63 King David was fleeing from his third born son, Absalom, who was seeking to kill him in an effort to overtake his throne. We learn of Absalom’s birth in the beginning of 2 Samuel 3, and his name means “father of peace” or “peaceful”. But we also learn about his “not so peaceful” adult life in later chapters of 2 Samuel. “Now Absalom was praised as the most handsome man in all Israel. He was flawless from head to foot;” (2 Sam 14:25) but even though he looked perfect and beautiful on the exterior, his heart was far for the Lord. His father, King David, on the other hand was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam 13:14).

There is a clear difference with these two men, Absalom’s life is marked with chaos, hatred, and fear. He died living a chaotic and hateful life, which was motivated by his heart that was aligned with this world that is ruled by Satan. While it is clear even in today’s passage, that David’s heart was aligned with the Lord. He had repented of his sins, he sought, thirsted, longed, awaited, praised, and clung to the Lord. His life reflected his eternal loving relationship with the Lord. Even when David was faced with his own son wanting to kill him, he was not paralyzed with fear, rather he searched for the Lord with his entire soul and being, because he knew that the Lord was the only One Who could offer him true peaceful rest and comfort in all the areas of his life.

Friends, God is after our hearts. You and I can do everything to make ourselves look good on the outside and to this world, but God knows the truth. He knows if our hearts are in oneness with Him or with Satan. It’s what Pastor Mary said yesterday during her sermon, there is always a contrasting difference between believers and unbelievers, righteousness and unrighteousness, lies and the Truth, and God longs for us to be overcomers! In this place we turn everything over to God so He can offer us true peaceful rest and comfort in all the areas of our lives, just like He did for King David.

Psalm 63:1-8 (NLT)

A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah.

1 O God, you are my God;
I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in your sanctuary
and gazed upon your power and glory.
3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
how I praise you!
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
I will praise you with songs of joy.
6 I lie awake thinking of you,
meditating on you through the night.
7 Because you are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you;
your strong right hand holds me securely.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for always carrying me when I am weary. I need Your strength in all areas of my life because my walk with You is everything. I want others to see You, to hear You, and to grow to know You through me. Holy Spirit, please keep guiding me with Your holy wisdom to know where You need me. Bring to my spirit a reminder today that I am an overcomer. I ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

If we do not understand the fullness and power of God’s grace, we will never really rest our trust in him alone. As humans, we have a tendency to think for some reason God needs our strength to save us; he does not. We are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone (Eph 2:8-9). Jesus is the righteous One. However, God needs our trust and willingness to do what pleases him. Our eternal destinies depend upon our understanding of grace and our choice for salvation. The penalty for sin is death; so, the stakes are really high, friends!

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul lays out a contrast for us to better understand salvation. First, there is the old realm Adam ushered in that involves human performance: death, sin, the law, and our sinful nature. We have no ability to victoriously overcome any of these things in our human strength and meet God’s righteous standards; we are born into the old realm. Then Paul shares a contrast to the old realm—the new realm or way to salvation: Christ ushered in the God-life, grace, forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit. All of these things are based on what God accomplishes within us. God allows us to choose our salvation: we can try to save ourselves, fail, and face eternal separation from God, or we can invite Christ to save us and empower us to enjoy resurrected life with him. Faith in Christ leads us into abundant living. It really is a “no-brainer!”

1 Corinthians 15:20-28 NLT
20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. 23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.

24 After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. 25 For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. 26 And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) 28 Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.

Prayer: Father, we are guilty of sin, but your Son brings forgiveness and the cleansing we need to enjoy eternity with you. Helps us to hunger and thirst for righteousness more than the sin that seeks to destroy us. Thank you for your mercy and grace to save our souls from eternal separation from you. You are the righteousness we need to cover our lives and to grow us as your sons and daughters. Thank you for dying for the sins of the world and offering us your righteous love and grace. May the world choose your Antedote—Jesus—for the poison of sin that robs, kills, and destroys human lives. In whose name we pray. Amen. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God’s supernatural law has put the world and all of creation into a system of order. These things function by God’s Word or ordinances; he sustains the universe with himself—Life and Light. The kosmos [the whole of creation] is filled with the Light and Life of God. Therefore, only God has the ultimate authority and sustained victory over chaos [biblical definition is darkness], my friends! God is the Ruling Lord of Creation.

However, throughout time humanity has made a practice of trying to alter God’s order or standard by seeing themselves disconnected or separate from his world, word, and authority. This false mindset has resulted in the spread of chaos [darkness]. We are not disconnected from creation and for this reason God gave human beings dominion and responsibility [stewardship] over the earth (Gen 1:26-28). Life is about God’s purposes; therefore, nothing human beings enact will change what God has put into place and motion. Humans will self-slaughter before they will change the will and purposes of God.

So, as believers, we must demonstrate the proper stewardship of God’s order. We cannot force our views on others, but we can live in the love, will, and strength of the eternal Lord and King. That means we live by the royal laws set out for human beings—we live like Christ while in the world—and, we are known by our wholehearted love and dependence upon God, our unconditional love in action for others, and accept our responsibility to care for the earth. This is where the blessing of God is found. Search no further! Christ the Lord is the eternal King and he has already spoken!

Psalm 93
1 
The Lord is king! He is robed in majesty.
    Indeed, the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength.
The world stands firm
    and cannot be shaken.
2 
Your throne, O Lord, has stood from time immemorial.
    You yourself are from the everlasting past.
3 
The floods have risen up, O Lord.
    The floods have roared like thunder;
    the floods have lifted their pounding waves.
4 
But mightier than the violent raging of the seas,
    mightier than the breakers on the shore—
    the Lord above is mightier than these!
5 
Your royal laws cannot be changed.
    Your reign, O Lord, is holy forever and ever.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being our King. We thank you for the order you have put into place and we pray for the world to get into agreement with you. We will continue to stand against the darkness and work to take care of your world. You are the holy One and we worship you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

During David’s reign, he prepared a special place in the tent of meeting [tabernacle] for the Ark of the Covenant. When Solomon was appointed King, he built the Temple, the priests moved the Ark from the tent of meeting, and placed it in the Most Holy Place (1 Kings 8:1). When the Ark was brought into the Temple, a cloud of God’s shekhinah [glorious presence] settled there. God had always promised to meet with his people and Solomon prayed the Temple would now be that place.

In our passage today, King Solomon prays as the Ark arrives. He and the people dedicate the Temple in Jerusalem to the Lord. Praise fills Solomon’s prayer. He thanks God for his faithfulness to the covenant, his unending love for the people, his abiding presence with them, and his willingness to forgive sin. Everything about the Temple was made as a reflection of the Christ.

At one time, God met with his people in the Temple, but now God meets his people in Jesus Christ. God does not live in temples made by human hands (Act 17:24). Because of Jesus, God now lives in believers—human temples in the Hand of God. Solomon’s Temple could not contain God—even the heavens cannot contain God—but miraculously obedient hearts can commune and enjoy him. So, you can meet with this indwelling God anytime and any day; he is listening for your prayers.

1 Kings 8:22-30 NLT Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire community of Israel. He lifted his hands toward heaven, 23 and he prayed,

“O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion. 24 You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father. You made that promise with your own mouth, and with your own hands you have fulfilled it today.

25 “And now, O Lord, God of Israel, carry out the additional promise you made to your servant David, my father. For you said to him, ‘If your descendants guard their behavior and faithfully follow me as you have done, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’ 26 Now, O God of Israel, fulfill this promise to your servant David, my father.

27 “But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built! 28 Nevertheless, listen to my prayer and my plea, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is making to you today. 29 May you watch over this Temple night and day, this place where you have said, ‘My name will be there.’ May you always hear the prayers I make toward this place. 30 May you hear the humble and earnest requests from me and your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, hear us from heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your abiding presence and your willingness to always listen and answer our prayers. We have come to meet with you, today. Please hear our individual hearts as we pray. In Jesus’ name.

How long have you known Christ as your personal Savior? For some of us, it has been many years and for others perhaps a year or less. Yet, for however long believers have known the Rescuer, one thing is certain—we know he truly loves us and works everyday for our well-being and wholeness.

Part of Christ’s work is also allowing us to share in his suffering [physical/mental hardships or distress]. Now, that may not sound like love to you, but suffering is most certainly a faith and trust builder. God uses human suffering—something that exists in this fallen world—to move his children closer to himself and into a place of wholeness. Sometimes, we suffer simply because the grace of God rests on us in Christ.

In our passage today, the writer of Hebrews expresses the need for perseverance when it comes to the Christian faith walk. He urges these early believers [and us] to protect their faith and trust in God with patient endurance, because following Christ comes with a cost. Random hardships remain a part of every Christ follower’s life; the kingdom of the world and the Kingdom of God clash and it results in suffering.

When we find ourselves in a place of suffering, God promises to make it work for our good. Therefore, we need to remember God may use suffering to bring us into something better…because, the best—Christ’s final victory—is yet to come!

Hebrews 10:32-39 NLT
32 Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. 34 You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.

35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.
37 
“For in just a little while,
    the Coming One will come and not delay.
38 
And my righteous ones will live by faith.
    But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”

39 But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.

Prayer: Lord, we know if we choose to live governed by your love and standard, we will be living countercultural to the world. Help us to remain faithful and obedient to your ways of living. We commit ourselves to you, Lord; we want to live for your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.