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Today is Wednesday April 22, 2009 and we are beginning our studies on the book of I Kings. Please read chapters 1-4 in your Bible or you can Click Here to read them online. If the link does not work you can copy ans paste this one into your browser: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I%20Kings%201-2&version=9

Today's Message: Spiritual Strength
As we grow old our physical strength begins to diminish, but our spiritual strength only gets stronger as long as we continue to pray in fellowship with our Lord and share the Word of God with others.

The book of I Kings is the eleventh book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains twenty-two chapters. The author of the book is unknown, but possibly Jeremiah and it was written to the Israelites. The purpose of the book was to record God's dealings with His people. What we are to learn from the book is that compromise may seem the best thing to do, but it is always costly later.

King David was now old and stricken in his years, it was now time for him to anoint a new king. Adonijah, presumed that since he was the oldest living son of David that he had the right to the throne. He along with Abiathar, the high priest and Joab, commander-in-chief of David's army conspired to make him king. "Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him...................And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him." (I Kings 1:5,7). Disregarding his father's prolonged illness, Adonijah ruthlessly attempted to seize the throne by force. Although Adonijah was the oldest son and presumed to be the next heir to be king the reign was to go to Solomon, whom was designated to be king by God Himself.

However, Nathan the prophet and Bathsheba went to David and put Adonijah's plans to a halt. While Adonijah was at his inaugural feast, Solomon, was being anointed as king. "And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon. And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them. And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar? And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came; and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings. And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king." (1:39-43).

Upon Solomon's reign, David gave him some words to live by, he said nothing to Solomon about becoming wealthy or enlarging his kingdom. Instead, he stressed the true values of living in obedience to God, the Supreme King of Israel. "I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man (stand firm against compromise); And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel." (2:2-4). It was important that Solomon keep God's Commandments so that he, as well as we, might please God and be an example to his and our children as well as others. David's concern was that he prosper spiritually by living in complete harmony with God's Word. The more we read God's Word the stronger we become spiritually, giving us the power to overcome any situation that we are faced with.

From a human point of view, all of David's disappointments were a tragedy but, from God's point of view, they were designed to expose the selfish and greedy motives in the hearts of those who were supposed to be loyal and close friends. They were also a clear revelation of the sovereign hand of God over the practical concerns in everyone's life. "For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (II Corinthians 4:15-18).

Today's Psalm: 1:1-2
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
I want my heart to be tuned to Your Truth and righteousness, for You are the Truth, the Way, and the Life. I place my complete trust in You and reject the godless trends and vain philosophies promoted by the world. May Your words be embedded in my heart and mind through the faithful study of Scripture so that I might not sin against You and so that I will recognize truth from error. Keep me faithful and true. In Jesus' Name..........Amen.

Have a wonderful night/day.
God Bless,
Christina

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