Day 147

I would say the book of Proverbs is my favorite book of the Bible. The words spoken are so practical and so strong.

Proverbs 1 verse 7 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge..." Chapter 1 seems to set up the entire book by saying where to start obtaining knowledge and wisdom. I have talked about fearing the Lord previously and here is where this concept is displayed most often.

Proverbs 2 expands on this and explains how to fear God and how to obtain knowledge. Verses 1 through 5, "My son, if you receive My words and treasure up My commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God."

This to me is the roadmap for Proverbs, and for my life. Read the Bible, seek wisdom and understanding, ask questions to understand better, pursue God as if looking for hidden treasures, then you will fear the Lord and find knowledge. This will forever be my quest.

Day 146

As I was reading Psalm 127, I came across some powerful words. Verse 1 says, "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."

No matter what I do, if the Lord is not with me, I do it for nothing. This is very powerful to me. I pray that the Lord be with me in all that I do and what I cannot control, I give to Him. I am thankful for a God who is with me and can do far more than I could ever ask or imagine.

Day 145

The Lord keeps his promises. He promised David that his son would be greater than all kings before and all kings after, and that came true with Solomon. I like what it says in 1 Kings 10 verse 21, "...Silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon." Everything was gold.

Another thing I found interesting was something the Queen of Sheba said when she visited Solomon. In 1 Kings 10 verse 8 she says, "Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, He has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness."

After visiting with king Solomon and seeing his great wisdom and riches, she saw how the Lord had blessed Solomon and gave glory to the Lord. That is what the purpose of being blessed. It is to allow others to see what the Lord has done and to give glory to God.

I will remember this. No matter what, in all things, give glory to God.

Day 144

In 2 Chronicles 7, God gives advice to us on how to pray. He says in verse 14, "If my people, who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear..."

He gives us 3 requirements. First is to humble ourselves. To me this means to know that I am nothing without God. I need Him every minute of every day.

The second is to seek His face. To me, this means to chase after Him; be in His word and pursuing Him.

And the last is to turn from our wicked ways. To me this is fairly self explanatory, just difficult to do sometimes.

If we come before Him with these criteria met, He will hear our prayer! I need to keep this in mind to prepare myself to come before Him. Thank you Lord for giving me an outline of how to prepare myself for You.

Day 143

What an amazing day that must have been when Israel finished the temple and brought the Ark into the Temple.

The priests carried the ark in, and there were others who were singing and worshiping the Lord as this was going on. When the priests came out of the Holy Place after setting the ark inside, a cloud filled the temple. I assume this was a similar cloud to the one that surrounded the tabernacle while the Israelites were in the wilderness.

I really thought it was neat how the Israelites honored God by building the temple, then putting the ark inside. They also worshiped the lord through all of this. Then, in response to this, the Lord came and filled the temple with His presence.

I believe He still does this. When He is honored and worshiped and prayed to, He is there. I take great comfort in knowing He is with me. What a loving, caring, all powerful God He is.

Day 142

Once again, we can take lessons from Solomon in public relations. He brought Hiram, the king of Tyre, to do all of the bronze work for the temple. Hiram made several items for the temple, some large. This would have taken months, if not years to accomplish.

That just amazes me that Solomon and Hiram had such a great relationship, that Hiram would leave his country to make the things for the temple.

To me, Hiram's actions speak volumes of how to be a great friend, that you would leave your kingdom to help another friend. And also, it says a lot of Solomon, to have the humility to go to, what was once an enemy, to ask for help; to swallow your pride in order to strengthen a relationship.

These to me are wise actions to keep in mind.

Day 141

I wish I could see what Solomon's temple looked like! This was a massive project for Solomon's time. It involved help from another country, tens of thousands of men, and 7 years to build.

Yet, Solomon did not obsess over himself, but continually gave credit to God. 2 Chronicles 2 verse 6 says, "But who is able to build Him a house, since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain Him? Who am I to build a house for Him, except as a place to make offerings before Him?"

Solomon is wise. His wisdom comes from God and he is wise enough to know that Solomon is nothing compared to God.

I have to remember that no matter how great the feat, or how great the accomplishment, who am I compared to God? The things I do are to only give Glory to God, because nothing I do compares to Him.

Day 140

I have been looking forward to reading of Solomon. I know he wrote the book of Proverbs and was very wise.

Solomon, like his father David, followed the Lord. One night, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and offered him whatever he asked for. Many would have asked for riches, or long life, or bad things to happen to their enemies, but Solomon asked for wisdom in being king over the Lord's people.

Because of this request, the Lord blessed Solomon beyond measure. He did receive wisdom, but so much more. He was blessed more than any other king before or after him.

I believe Solomon received all this due to his selflessness and to his faithfulness to God. He knew God put him in that position and has blessed him so far, so he wanted to do well in the task God has set up for him. He asked God for the proper tools to do what God has asked of him.

I pray that I can accomplish what God has in place for me to the best of my ability using the gifts God has blessed me with, and with the gifts God will bless me with.

Day 139

"Restore us, O God; let Your face shine, that we may be saved!" Asaph repeats this several times in Psalm 80. I believe he wants to emphasize this and it says a lot.

Restore us, make us new, make us Your child, make us pure, Oh God; let Your face shine, let us see You, let us put our faith in you, may You be our constant trust, that we may be saved!

Only God can restore us and save us from our sins. Thanks be to God for being gracious and merciful to us and promising redemption through Him!

Day 138

Asaph is a wise man. In the day of his trouble, he seeks God. However, sometimes it seems as though God is not there. Asaph asks, "Has His steadfast love forever ceased? Are His promises at an end for all time?" (Psalm 77 verse 8)

I sometimes feel the same why. It feels as though God is not there. But Asaph has a great response.

Verses 11 and 12 say, "I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on Your mighty deeds."

This is good advice. I try to do this often when it feels as though God is not there or cannot help me. I remember all that He has done. I remember the stories of the Bible and His awesome display of power. I remember events in my life that led me to where I am now and I see God's hand in each one of those events. I remember Job and how God was always there and showed Himself when He saw fit.

Even in the times it feels as though God is not there, I will remain faithful.

Day 137

I find Psalm 73 very down to earth. Asaph is the author of this Psalm and is asking God why the wicked and ungodly prosper. The foolish have no worries. It is almost as though Asaph has kept his heart clean in vain (verse 13).

However, verse 16 and 17 are the turning point. Asaph writes, "But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end."

The rich and foolish may seem carefree, but they are in slippery places, only to fall into ruin. They can be destroyed in a moment.

Asaph learns a lesson that I believe is good for me too. He concludes that, "Nevertheless, I am continually with you...There is nothing on earth that I desire besides you...Those who are far from you shall perish...But for me it is good to be near God, I have made the Lord God my refuge..." (verses 23 through 28)

How great a faith to where others prosper and seem carefree, but he is still able to say, "I am continually with you." What a great example of faith.

Day 136

My God is an awesome God! Quite often I feel so small. Psalm 144 verse 3 says, "Oh Lord, what is man that You regard him, or the son of man that You think of him?"

With all of God's power and might and splendor, He still cares for me! This only makes me love Him and want to serve Him more! What a perfect God I serve!

Day 135

I believe that being able to take criticism well is very important. Psalm 141 verse 5 says, "Let a righteous man strike me - it is a kindness; let him rebuke me - it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it."

I believe David is saying the same thing about criticism. Let a righteous man strike me or rebuke me, it is kindness. Let someone who is deeper in their faith criticize me, for it will only make me better.

I know this is getting ahead a little bit, but Proverbs 27 verse 17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." (NIV)

I will continue to be open to criticism as it only makes me stronger and better. Thanks be to God for others to sharpen me in my faith and in my life.

Day 134

I love the comfort Psalm 103 verses 11 and 12. They say, "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us."

Wow! His love toward those who fear him is like the distance from the heavens to the earth! That is more love than I can comprehend. God has that kind of a love for those who put their hope, and trust and faith in Him and chase after him often! That is the kind of love I long for and can only get in Christ.

And also, His forgiveness cannot be matched! He removes our transgressions and our sins from us.

It is a comfort to me to know that my God is the God described in Psalm 103 verses 11 and 12. What a loving, forgiving, gracious God!...My God.

Day 133

Quite often I wonder if I am helping advance Christ's kingdom, or hindering. I do my best to be a good example of a child of Christ, but I do fail. I wonder if this harms the deepening of others relationships in Christ.

I believe David had a similar concern. In Psalm 69 verse 6, it says, "Let not those who hope in You be put to shame through me, O Lord God of hosts; let not those who seek You be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel."

That is powerful! David is praying that his actions do not cause Christians to be shamed or dishonored. Instead, he wants to be a shining example of Christ and make others think higher of Christians.

That is my prayer tonight and always, that I will be a good example for Christ and will not be a disgrace to fellow Christians but instead, be a great example that only builds them up.

Day 132

What a great picture! Psalm 61 verse 2 and 3, "Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy."

My Refuge. My Strong Tower. I believe David is trying to tell us that there is safety in the Lord. He will protect me. I can run to Him and He will be there for me. He will always be my constant and I can always trust Him.

I love the song "Strong Tower" by Kutless. It is taken from this Psalm and it really speaks of God's character.

Thank you Lord, for being my Strong Tower.

Day 131

I am finding there is a lot of wisdom in the Psalms. I was shown this today by Psalm 39 verse 6 which says, "...man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!"

I believe this is saying that many spend their whole life trying to accumulate wealth and money, but for what purpose? In the end, everyone dies and all their wealth and money stays here. Because of that fact alone, chasing after wealth is futile!

So what does the Lord require? "Fear the LORD your God, walk in all His ways, love Him, serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good" (Deuteronomy 10 verses 12 and 13)

Day 130

This morning my attention was drawn to Psalm 37 verse 4. It says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

I was trying to think of what it means to delight myself in the Lord. I believe it means to take joy in being a child of God. I believe it means to take joy in reading His word and take joy in the ability to speak to Him through prayer.

If I take joy in the Lord, He will give me the desires of my heart. Who better to know the desires of my heart than the creator, my Lord? The fact that the Lord knows the desires of my heart and knows exactly what I need is such a comfort to me. Quite often, even I don't know what I need or what my heart desires.

I am filled with joy to know that I serve a God who knows me so well, that I can even leave my needs and my heart's desires with Him!

Day 129

Once again, David's faith astounds me! The statements he makes are so full of trust and also, so true.

Psalm 27 verse 1 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

This short verse says so much. There is nothing to fear when the Lord is my light, salvation and stronghold. This is the God I serve!

Day 128

I found Psalm 22 very interesting. The title of the Psalm is "Why Have You Forsaken Me?" The first line in this Psalm is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

This right away brought me to the cross and Christ's last words before sacrificing Himself for us. But the parallelism does not stop there.

In verse 18, "...they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." Once again, this is what happened to Christ when He was crucified.

I find it interesting that several of the items in Psalm 22 come to be when Christ is crucified. I think it goes to show that Christ was forsaken by God so He could take the place of us. Thank you Lord for sacrificing yourself for me!

Day 127

I envy David's undying faith in God. This is elaborated in Psalm 20, verses 6 through 8, "Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright."

I think what David is saying here is very powerful and very straight forward. Some people trust in chariots, horses, tanks, planes, bombs, money, fame or friends, but we trust in the Lord. Because of this, those others will fall, but we will always have the Lord to stand.

Very simple concept, yet extremely difficult to accept. I can see planes, tanks and bombs, but I cannot always see the Lord or feel His presence. However, only by trusting the Lord will we stand. Period. I thank the Lord for this simple, yet important concept.

Day 126

I like what David has to say to Solomon right before he dies. 1 Kings 2 verses 2 and 3 says, "Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies..."

What a great charge. Be strong, and walk in the ways of the Lord. What a great way to sum up the life of David, and charge his son and me.

Also, 1 Chronicles 29 verse 28 talks about David's life. It says, "Then he died at a good age, full of days, riches, and honor." I hope and pray that this is what is said about me when I die. A life full of days, riches and honor. What more could I ask for? Thanks be to God for the life He has blessed me with!

Day 125

I can just imagine David collecting all the gold, silver, bronze and iron along with precious stones for the temple. I can also imagine all of the people wondering what all of this is for. They may have thought the king was going to keep it for himself.

I also think it was pretty cool when David announced in 1 Chronicles 29 verse 1, "Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced, and the work is great, for the palace will not be for man but for the Lord God..."

David announced the leader, Solomon, all the items they have been collecting were for a palace, and the palace is going to be for the Lord, not for himself or his sons. I bet that was a lot to swallow. But I like how he puts this, "The work is great, for the palace will be for the Lord God."

David has his priorities in order. The great things are for the Lord. He was also a good example for the next king of Israel, Solomon.

I will work to have my priorities straight like David, and also I pray that I can be a great example to my son like David was to Solomon.

Day 124

I like David's charge to Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28 verse 9, "...know the God of your father and serve Him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever."

David just said a lot about God. The Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. That is pretty awesome and somewhat scary. He sees both the good and the bad plans and thoughts.

I have found the second half of this to be true. If you seek Him, He will be found by you. I have been truly seeking God for the past 124 days and He has shown Himself to me several times through prayer and also by actions. When I started seeking Him, He revealed Himself to me. It is awesome to truly see God! I will continue to seek Him so I can find Him.

Day 123

David is getting older and wants to set things up for his son Solomon to take over. There were 38,000 Levite men who were thirty years old and upward. David organized them the way that he saw fit.

David organized them in the following way per 1 Chronicles 23 verses 4 and 5, "24,000 [were charged to] work in the house of the Lord. 6,000 shall be officers and judges, 4,000 gatekeepers..." but the one that astonished me was, "...4,000 shall offer praises to the Lord with instruments..."

David set apart 4,000 men to offer praises to the Lord! I believe this shows how important praise is. David is the main contributor to the Psalms and was also known as one of the greatest of the Lord's servants. He knew how important praise was. I will not forget to praise my Lord!

Day 122

What a blessing David has given his son Solomon!

David prepared to build a temple to the Lord. He gathered all of the materials and all of the skilled workers in order to do so. He then charged his son Solomon to build it for the Lord.

Then David blessed him in 1 Chronicles 22 verse 11 through 13 saying, "...the Lord be with you, so that you may succeed in building the house of the Lord your God, as He has spoken concerning you. Only, may the Lord grant you discretion and understanding, that when He gives you charge over Israel you may keep the law of the Lord your God. Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed."

I think this is so cool because I know that later, Solomon is known as the wisest man. He was blessed with discretion and understanding and he became very prosperous.

What a great blessing! This was the blessing from someone who loved the Lord. Is there anything better?

Day 121

There is one verse in this reading that stood out to me. 2 Samuel 22 verse 4 says, "I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies."

I think this is a great verse for a few reasons. First, it is saying when David is in trouble, he calls upon the Lord and he is saved. Step 1 is calling upon the Lord. Pray.

Second, David is stating that the Lord is worthy to be praised. He is all powerful, awesome and wonderful. He deserves to be praised.

Lastly, the Lord delivers. After calling upon the Lord who is worthy, the Lord answers and saves him.

This to me is very important. When I am in need, I have to pray. I cannot expect anything without asking. For God is worthy to be praised! He deserves everything I can give. And lastly, the Lord will answer my prayer and provide, and save. What an awesome God I serve!

Day 120

David's servants were very wise. David was getting older and when in battle, one of his servants had to step in and save him. If he were younger, David could have handled it himself.

David's servants recognized this and said in Chapter 21 verse 17, "You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel."

What they are saying is, if David dies in battle, all of Israel will lose hope and lose faith. David's servants recognized this and stepped up to save him.

David's servants recognized that if David died, Israel would be lost. So they stepped up. They took courage and stepped up. They were servants of David who became heroes.

When I see a need, I have to step up. This is one of my weaknesses that I am working on. God calls us to step up when He puts us into certain situations. I will step up.

Day 119

Just when I think I am getting overwhelmed by the things of this life, God comes in and provides me the comfort I need.

Psalm 3 verse 3 says, "You, O Lord, are a shield about me..." The Lord protects me and takes care of me! When I feel like many things are rising up against me, including the devil, He is there protecting me! What a comfort!

Day 118

David is known as the greatest king in Israel. Yet, his sons seem to be the thorns in his sides. Now Absalom conspires against David to overthrow him. He gains the trust of the people.

And what about the people? They have been with David for a while and have seen what a great leader he is. Now when Absalom speaks against David, they quickly turn from him.

I find it interesting the hardships David went through. Even though the Lord was with him and he was the greatest king, there were many times that were not perfect.

I believe this is something to keep in mind for me too. I often believe that if I am truly dedicated to God, then everything will be great. But that is not the case. However, because I am with God and know Him, I know that He is there, even in the hardships. I know He will take care of me. That is why I love the Lord my God.

Day 117

I believe everyone needs a friend like Joab. Joab was the commander of David's army and also David's sense of reason at times.

Amnon, Absalom's brother, violated Absalom's sister which, from what I understand, caused mental issues (chapter 13 verse 20 says, "Tamar lived, a desolate woman..."). This angered Absalom so much that he had Amnon killed.

After this, Absalom fled to another city. David was content to let him leave, however, Joab saw the bigger picture. He saw that Absalom did this for his sister and also saw that it was not good to have the family split.

Joab tricked David into deciding for himself that Absalom should come back. I know I need friends like this who, when they see I am not being logical, they reveal it to me, even if it means tricking me.

I am blessed with not only a great wife, but also great friends who quite often are my source of logic. I thank God for them every day.