Today, we are reading 1 Kings 15:16-22, 2 Chronicles 16:1-10, 1 Kings 16, 1 Kings 15:23-24, 2 Chronicles 16:11-14, 2 Chronicles 16:11-14, 2 Chronicles 17, and 1 Kings 17:1-7.   Seems like a lot, but hang in there!  Come on back, and let’s see together what the Word has to say to us today!

“you were foolish to go for human help when you could have had God’s help” (2 Chron. 16:9 MSG)

Amen!  We make that same mistake today, don’t we?  Seek help from humans when GOd is our Source.

I am encouraged by Elijah’s obedience – God tells him something and he does it.  I notice that the means of provision changes and Elijah changes with it – the brook Cherith was good for a season, then it dried up and God moved Elijah on.  When God moves, we need to be ready to move with Him and not hang on to what worked yesterday.

It’s funny how the God who stays the same yesterday today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) seems to change all the time, LOL! It’s His character that stays the same and that’s a tremendous comfort ❤

WOW – big list today!   Don’t give up – 160 days in, we’ve come to far to turn back now, right?  How are getting through?  Are you using the YouVersion One Year Chronological Plan?  Do you have a chronological bible?  Are you looking up verses in your old faithful bible?  I do a little of all three – but days like this, I’m glad to have it laid out for me!  Please read: 1 Kings 13, 1 Kings 14:1-24, 2 Chronicles 12:13-14, 2 Chronicles 11:18-23, 2 Chronicles 12:1-12, 1 Kings 14:25-28, 2 Chronicles 12:13-16, 1 Kings 14:29-31, 1 Kings 15:1-5, 2 Chronicles 13, 1 Kings 15:9-15, 1 Kings 14:9-20, 1 Kings 15:25-34, 2 Chronicles 14:9-15, 2 Chronicles 15.  Here we go:

What horrible news of Israel and its kings.  I don’t guess anyone is left who remembers being told about when God Himself offered to be their king and Israel rejected Him. God is still thinking about His covenant with David, He never breaks it.  We’ll continue to see that covenant even into the new testament. When Jeroboam’s son comes into power, it is written,

“He was not truehearted to God as his great-grandfather David had been. But despite that, out of respect for David, his God graciously gave him a lamp, a son to follow him and keep Jerusalem secure. For David had lived an exemplary life before God all his days, not going off on his own in willful defiance of God’s clear directions, except for that time with Uriah the Hittite” (1 Kings 15:3-5 MSG)

I thought of the present day when I read about Jeroboam letting anyone become priests – it’s the same today, isn’t it?  When my husband was ordained, it was a little of a difficult process – now one can become a minister over the internet. Nothing seems sacred. Asa did better than the others, but still left a lot out – we have to be consistent in our walk or we won’t be effective.  God help us!

Today we are finishing up Ecclesiastes and pressing forward.  Please read Ecclesiastes 11:7-10, Ecclesiastes 12, 1 Kings 12:1-20, 2 Chronicles 10, 1 Kings 12:21-24, 2 Chronicles 11:1-4, 1 Kings 12:25-33, and 2 Chronicles 11:5-17.

Solomon ends on an important and valuable piece of advice:

“The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you.

And that’s it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it’s good or evil” (Eccl. 12:13-14 MSG)

Now on to Rehoboam…. Even from the very beginning, you can easily see that there are rough days ahead for Israel.  Though David had united the two kingdoms, they split again here – and Israel remains divided even to the present time.

Today we are reading Ecclesiastes 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11:1-6.  Leave a comment and share an insight if you like!  I’d love to hear from you!  After you finish today’s reading, come on back –

We have to take our nuggets of wisdom where we can! How about these:

“A good reputation is better than a fat bank account.
Your death date tells more than your birth date” (7:1 MSG)

“On a good day, enjoy yourself; on a bad day, examine your conscience.
God arranges for both kinds of days so that we won’t take anything for granted” (7:14 MSG)

Solomon is discouraged, but he still demonstrates wisdom about faithfulness and hard work.

Let’s read Ecclesiastes 1:12-18, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. I’m so sad about Solomon’s rebellion.

Like we did with Job’s friends, we’re going to have to search for the helpful advice among all of Solomon’s despair here – it is there if we look! How about this, almost sounding like a proverb again:

“Watch your step when you enter God’s house.
    Enter to learn. That’s far better than mindlessly offering a sacrifice,
        Doing more harm than good….
God’s in charge, not you—the less you speak, the better” (Ecc. 5:1, 2 MSG)

With all his accomplishments, it’s so sad that Solomon feels his life has come to nothing.  However, without the Lord at the center, what could he expect?  We need to make the Lord the center of our lives if we are to truly find value.

Today, we’ve got a little list – we’re reading 1 Kings 11, 2 Chronicles 9:29-31, and Ecclesiastes 1:1-11.

“Solomon openly defied God; he did not follow in his father David’s footsteps. He went on to build a sacred shrine to Chemosh, the horrible god of Moab, and to Molech, the horrible god of the Ammonites, on a hill just east of Jerusalem. He built similar shrines for all his foreign wives, who then polluted the countryside with the smoke and stench of their sacrifices. God was furious with Solomon for abandoning the God of Israel, the God who had twice appeared to him and had so clearly commanded him not to fool around with other gods. Solomon faithlessly disobeyed God’s orders” (1 Kings 11:6-10 MSG)

It’s unbelievable, isn’t it? It’s so hard to believe that someone as wise as Solomon would make the choice to rebel against God.  In the context of Solomon’s rebellion, Ecclesiastes seems even more mournful and hopeless than it had before.

“Nobody remembers what happened yesterday.
    And the things that will happen tomorrow?
Nobody’ll remember them either.
    Don’t count on being remembered” (Ecclesiastes 1:11 MSG)

What a sad end.  Let’s appreciate the good things we learned from Solomon and respectfully disagree with him here: what you do is valuable, what you do will create some kind of legacy.  Solomon writes “don’t count on being remembered” and here we are, thousands of years later.  Heartbreaking, huh?

Today we are reading Song of Solomon in its entirety.  Ready, set go!

I’m glad to have this entire book over in one day! Solomon gives us a beautiful picture of love within marriage, some can also be applied to God’s love for us (how fierce, how protective….)

“Love is invincible facing danger and death.
    Passion laughs at the terrors of hell.
The fire of love stops at nothing—
    it sweeps everything before it.
Flood waters can’t drown love,
    torrents of rain can’t put it out” (Song 8:6-7 MSG)

God’s love for us is so strong, and sets such an example!

(but if I’m being honest, some of Song of Solomon is a little weird for me!  Anyone else ready to move on?) Leave a comment – especially if you have an insight to share!

Today we’ve got Proverbs 22:17-29, 23, and 24.  So much truth!

“Listen carefully to my wisdom;
    take to heart what I can teach you.
You’ll treasure its sweetness deep within;
    you’ll give it bold expression in your speech.
To make sure your foundation is trust in God,
    I’m laying it all out right now just for you.
I’m giving you thirty sterling principles—
    tested guidelines to live by.
Believe me—these are truths that work,
    and will keep you accountable
    to those who sent you” (Proverbs 22:17-21 MSG)

Thirty sterling principles – I like that phrase. Being a good guest, prioritizing intelligence over physical strength, how to be an adult who is a blessing to your parents….

“Dear child, if you become wise,
    I’ll be one happy parent.
My heart will dance and sing
    to the tuneful truth you’ll speak” (Proverbs 23:15-16 MSG)

“It’s better to be wise than strong;
    intelligence outranks muscle any day” (Proverbs 24:5 MSG)

Proverbs is so easily applicable to us AND so simple to implement.  Not always EASY to implement, but definitely SIMPLE!

Powering through the Proverbs! This morning we are reading 20, 21, and 22:1-16.  What stands out you today?

If you know me, you know I like any verse or advice that deals with planning ahead! That is music to my type-A ears!

Another favorite proverb:

About halfway through the Proverbs!  Let’s read Proverbs 17, 18, and 19 today.  Instruction on wealth, friendship, parenting – Solomon certainly covers a lot of ground!

 I love the verses on correction – we should not rush to correct, but we shouldn’t avoid it either (whether we have to receive the correction or administer the correction).  Please, please learn to accept correction as protection. As a parent (whether you can relate to having one or being one), you protect your child by offering correction: “Don’t touch the stove, you’ll burn your hand” or “don’t steal – that is a sin and crime with serious consequences”.  There isn’t a break in relationship because of the correction, there isn’t less love because of the correction – I would say there is even more love.  You correct those you care for – you also receive correction from those you respect.  Correction helps us be better, and who doesn’t want to be better?

I love how the Message translates this one: 

“People ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does God always get blamed?” (Proverbs 19:3 MSG)

Amen!