The Anchor for Your Soul - Day 185 Through the Bible

Off the front porch of the cabin, where I do my daily Bible readings - near Mt. Celo Church

My Lessons, Applications and Meditations on Today's Readings

Dedication of the Temple to God - 2 Chronicles 5 and 6 - Solomon has completed the great temple, the ark has been "brought into its place, into the inner sanctuary of the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim."  Great sacrifices, too many to even be numbered, were offered to God as the Levites and priests brought the ark in, as Asaph and the thousands (1 Chron. 23:5) of musicians heralded the return of the LORD to His Holy Temple.  "And the house of the LORD was filled with a cloud, so the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God." Then the king knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward Israel, glorified and praised God, prayed for Israel and all foreigners who would pray with hands and hearts toward the temple, that God would hear and answer their prayers, ending with these words: "Arise, O LORD God to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength.  Let Your priests, O LORD God be clothed with salvation.  And let Your saints rejoice in goodness.  O LORD God, do not turn away Your face from Your Anointed; Remember the mercies of Your servant, David."

My Lessons and Applications - I hope you will re-read the entirety of King Solomon's Prayer of Dedication of the Temple to God.  We have listened now to two of the most beautiful, humble, heart-felt prayers in the OT from this man so mightily blessed by God.  But...his heart will be turned away...as a result of these very blessings...he will disobey the commandments (and warnings) of God regarding marriage outside the faith...these wives will turn the good king's heart to their own gods...the destruction of the nation will follow.  I have seen this with Christian counselors, ministers and laypeople over and over.  They started so well, so blessed in their work for the Lord, and then their end was so disastrous, bringing disgrace on themselves and God's kingdom work.   I will be meditating on this carefully in the next readings about Solomon's life and fall - what were his missteps that led to his and Israel's fall?  Am I in this same downward spiral?  Am I watching a fellow believer being "taken in?"  Will I be willing to humble myself before God, repent and turn back to him...leaving all that is taking me away from Him?  Will I pray for and speak in love a warning to the fellow believer in trouble?  What will be the consequences of our behavior and choices to our families, to future generations, to our nation?

Attempts to Thwart the Work of God and His Chosen - Acts 13 - Paul and Barnabas are being sent out by the church to preach the gospel.  'As they administered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.  Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away."'  At Paphos, a sorcerer named Bar-Jesus (also Elymas) "withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul (Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man who wanted to hear the Word of God) away from the faith."  Paul boldly calls out the sorcerer for his evil ways. Saul (Paul) and Barnabas later speak in the synagogue to the Jews of Antioch in Pisidia.  Many of these hearers listen willingly at first and then - seeing the multitudes following Paul and Barnabas - will persecute the disciples and expel them from the city.  BUT GOD will use this rejection for further spread of the gospel to the Gentiles.

My Lessons and Applications:  With King Solomon it is his wives of a different belief system that will turn his heart from the God who has so blessed him.  With the sorcerer at Paphos and the Jewish religious leaders in Antioch of Pisidia, the reasons for hatred toward the gospel are attributed to "fraud, deceit, unrighteousness, evil and envy resulting in their spiritual (and with the sorcerer, physical) blindness (Acts 13:10-11, 45) Are there those seeking to turn me away from God? Family? Media?Friends? Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Employer? Do I speak with the boldness of Paul and Barnabas in rejecting these attempts?  Is my faith solidly built on the Word of God and my personal relationship with Him?  Will I persevere to the end? (Matt. 24:13, Hebrews 6:11-15, Ephesians 6:16-19, 2 Timothy 4:1-5)

'Get for yourself the "sure blessings promised to David" (Acts 14:34).  Let your "anchor for the soul...(enter) the inner sanctuary behind the curtain" (Heb. 6:19), and make sure your soul is secured to that anchor by a cable that will never break.  Move beyond these lifeless "ifs" and live no longer in the wilderness of doubts and fears.  Cross the Jordan of distrust and enter the Canaan of peace - yes, where Canaanites still linger, but where the land never ceases to flow with milk and honey."'

Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening