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Christian Devotional – August 6, 2016
Read 1 Kings chapter 14 VERSE: 1 Kings 14:5–But the Lord had told Ahijah, “Jeroboam’s wife is coming to ask you about her son for he is ill and you are to give her such and such an answer. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else.” TRUTH: We can come up with all the schemes and tricks that we can think of, but God can see through each and every one of them. We’re not fooling Him. No matter what we are trying to accomplish, God can always reveal our true motives to others. God knows what He is doing and He knows what we are doing.…
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Christian Devotional – August 5, 2016
Read 1 Kings chapter 13 VERSE: 1 Kings 13:17–“I have been told by the word of the Lord, ‘You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.'” TRUTH: The prophet had been given a message to give King Jeroboam and he went and delivered that message. However, the prophet had also been given instruction regarding how to deliver that message and what he could and couldn’t do while he was on his trip to deliver the message. Unfortunately, even though he could articulate what he was supposed to do, he didn’t follow through on it and do it. We can be given great…
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Christian Devotional – August 4, 2016
Read 1 Kings chapter 12 VERSE: 1 Kings 12:28–After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” TRUTH: This chapter has a lot of advice-seeking and advice-giving in it. Rehoboam seeks advice early in the chapter and here, Jeroboam also seeks advice. The problem is that neither one of them are seeking advice from God. In both cases, the seek advice from those around them and ultimately, they seek people who will say what they want to hear. When we seek advice,…
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Christian Devotional – August 3, 2016
Read 1 Kings chapter 11 VERSE: 1 Kings 11:2–They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. TRUTH: Solomon had a problem. He had a “love” problem. He loved women and he loved lots of women. Unfortunately, he allowed his love of women to be stronger than his love for God. I’ve heard people say that a relationship they are in or a person they are dating must be right because they “love” that person. In Solomon’s case, nothing could have been further…
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Christian Devotional – August 2, 2016
Read 1 Kings chapter 10 VERSE: 1 Kings 10:9–Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness. TRUTH: The Queen of Sheba came to see if all the rumors about Solomon were true. She had a chance to talk with him and see all that he had done throughout the kingdom and she concluded that yes, everything was true and more. She then praised God for all that God had done through Solomon. As we are working and moving and going…
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Forgiveness Leads To Improved Physical, Mental And Spiritual Health
Forgiveness Leads To Improved Physical, Mental And Spiritual Health States Kristi Burchfiel, Author Of ‘Piecing Together Forgiveness’ Kristi Burchfiel is a Christian devotional author and speaker who believes in ‘living in the world while living out the word’ Christian Author Kristi Burchfiel [Wilmington, NC, July 19 2016] In a recent offering on the Inc.com website, an article written by Justin Bariso cited a study that appeared in the Journal of Health Psychology. In that study it was shown that forgiveness – of self and others – reduced the effect of stress, which improved physical and mental health. Loren Toussaint of Luther College authored the study and, as mentioned in…
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Christian Devotional – August 1, 2016
Read 1 Kings chapter 9 VERSE: 1 Kings 9:3–The Lord said to him: “I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated the temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. TRUTH: The Lord answered Solomon’s prayer. When we are experiencing difficulties, sometimes Satan attacks our trust in the fact that God hears and answers our prayers. We can know that God does hear our prayers and God does answer them. In this case, God was pleased with the request and did exactly as Solomon had asked. God came and inhabited the…
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Christian Devotional – July 30, 2016
Read 1 Kings chapter 8 VERSE: 1 Kings 8:58–May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. TRUTH: As Solomon was dedicating the temple, he began his conclusion with this. We must remember this same for ourselves today. If God doesn’t give us the strength to walk in His way, we have no hope of being able to accomplish that. We must continually turn our hearts toward Him because only as we are focused on Him will we be able to obey Him. Our obedience is a sign that we love Him. Are we keeping…
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Christian Devotional – July 29, 2016
Read 1 Kings chapter 7 VERSE: 1 Kings 7:51–When all the work King Solomon had done for the temple of the Lord was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated–the silver and gold and the furnishings–and he placed them in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple. TRUTH: Solomon was completing the work that God had for him, the work that his father had envisioned. As a result, Solomon honored his father, by adding in the pieces that he had set aside for the temple as well. When we are working with others, do we continue to honor them, or do we un over them and just…
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Christian Devotional – July 28, 2016
Read 1 Kings chapter 6 VERSE: 1 Kings 6:12–“As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your Father.” TRUTH: Solomon got busy doing what his father had asked him to do. David had wanted to build a temple for the Lord, but Solomon was the one that God chose to od that instead. Still The Lord spoke to Solomon and reminded him that it wasn’t just about building this temple, but that he needed to be sure that he was obeying all of God’s…