Wednesday, Feb 22, 2012 - Solomon Build a Temple - June 9th Reading

4:45 a.m. Devotion/Prayers

Song - Melody "He Wants IT All", "Indescribable" "All The Glory Belongs To You" "Chasing"

5:45 a.m. P90 Cardio X (maybe weights - lower body)

1 Kings 5:1-6:38; Acts 7:1-29; Psalm 127:1-5; Proverbs 16:28-30

1 Kings 5-6:38

New Living Translation (NLT)

1 Kings 5

Preparations for Building the Temple

 ^{1 [a]}King Hiram of Tyre had always been a loyal friend of David. When Hiram learned that David’s son Solomon was the new king of Israel, he sent ambassadors to congratulate him.  ² Then Solomon sent this message back to Hiram:
 ³ “You know that my father, David, was not able to build a Temple to honor the name of the LORD his God because of the many wars waged against him by surrounding nations. He could not build until the LORD gave him victory over all his enemies. ⁴ But now the LORD my God has given me peace on every side; I have no enemies, and all is well. ⁵ So I am planning to build a Temple to honor the name of the LORD my God, just as he had instructed my father, David. For the LORD told him, ‘Your son, whom I will place on your throne, will build the Temple to honor my name.’
 ⁶ “Therefore, please command that cedars from Lebanon be cut for me. Let my men work alongside yours, and I will pay your men whatever wages you ask. As you know, there is no one among us who can cut timber like you Sidonians!”
 ⁷ When Hiram received Solomon’s message, he was very pleased and said, “Praise the LORD today for giving David a wise son to be king of the great nation of Israel.” ⁸ Then he sent this reply to Solomon:
   “I have received your message, and I will supply all the cedar and cypress timber you need. ⁹ My servants will bring the logs from the Lebanon mountains to the Mediterranean Sea^[b] and make them into rafts and float them along the coast to whatever place you choose. Then we will break the rafts apart so you can carry the logs away. You can pay me by supplying me with food for my household.”
 ¹⁰ So Hiram supplied as much cedar and cypress timber as Solomon desired. ¹¹ In return, Solomon sent him an annual payment of 100,000 bushels^[c] of wheat for his household and 110,000 gallons^[d] of pure olive oil. ¹² So the LORD gave wisdom to Solomon, just as he had promised. And Hiram and Solomon made a formal alliance of peace.
 ¹³ Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel. ¹⁴ He sent them to Lebanon in shifts, 10,000 every month, so that each man would be one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of this labor force. ¹⁵ Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers, 80,000 quarry workers in the hill country, ¹⁶ and 3,600^[e] foremen to supervise the work. ¹⁷ At the king’s command, they quarried large blocks of high-quality stone and shaped them to make the foundation of the Temple. ¹⁸ Men from the city of Gebal helped Solomon’s and Hiram’s builders prepare the timber and stone for the Temple.

1 Kings 6

Solomon Builds the Temple

 ¹ It was in midspring, in the month of Ziv,^[f] during the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, that he began to construct the Temple of the LORD. This was 480 years after the people of Israel were rescued from their slavery in the land of Egypt.  ² The Temple that King Solomon built for the LORD was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high.^{[g] 3} The entry room at the front of the Temple was 30 feet^[h] wide, running across the entire width of the Temple. It projected outward 15 feet^[i] from the front of the Temple. ⁴ Solomon also made narrow recessed windows throughout the Temple.
 ⁵ He built a complex of rooms against the outer walls of the Temple, all the way around the sides and rear of the building. ⁶ The complex was three stories high, the bottom floor being 71⁄2 feet wide, the second floor 9 feet wide, and the top floor 101⁄2 feet wide.^[j] The rooms were connected to the walls of the Temple by beams resting on ledges built out from the wall. So the beams were not inserted into the walls themselves.
 ⁷ The stones used in the construction of the Temple were finished at the quarry, so there was no sound of hammer, ax, or any other iron tool at the building site.
 ⁸ The entrance to the bottom floor^[k] was on the south side of the Temple. There were winding stairs going up to the second floor, and another flight of stairs between the second and third floors. ⁹ After completing the Temple structure, Solomon put in a ceiling made of cedar beams and planks. ¹⁰ As already stated, he built a complex of rooms on three sides of the building, attached to the Temple walls by cedar timbers. Each story of the complex was 71⁄2 feet^[l] high.
 ¹¹ Then the LORD gave this message to Solomon: ¹² “Concerning this Temple you are building, if you keep all my decrees and regulations and obey all my commands, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father, David. ¹³ I will live among the Israelites and will never abandon my people Israel.”

The Temple’s Interior

 ¹⁴ So Solomon finished building the Temple. ¹⁵ The entire inside, from floor to ceiling, was paneled with wood. He paneled the walls and ceilings with cedar, and he used planks of cypress for the floors. ¹⁶ He partitioned off an inner sanctuary—the Most Holy Place—at the far end of the Temple. It was 30 feet deep and was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling. ¹⁷ The main room of the Temple, outside the Most Holy Place, was 60 feet^[m] long. ¹⁸ Cedar paneling completely covered the stone walls throughout the Temple, and the paneling was decorated with carvings of gourds and open flowers.  ¹⁹ He prepared the inner sanctuary at the far end of the Temple, where the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant would be placed. ²⁰ This inner sanctuary was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He overlaid the inside with solid gold. He also overlaid the altar made of cedar.^{[n] 21} Then Solomon overlaid the rest of the Temple’s interior with solid gold, and he made gold chains to protect the entrance^[o] to the Most Holy Place. ²² So he finished overlaying the entire Temple with gold, including the altar that belonged to the Most Holy Place.
 ²³ He made two cherubim of wild olive^[p] wood, each 15 feet^[q] tall, and placed them in the inner sanctuary. ²⁴ The wingspan of each of the cherubim was 15 feet, each wing being 71⁄2 feet^[r] long. ²⁵ The two cherubim were identical in shape and size; ²⁶ each was 15 feet tall. ²⁷ He placed them side by side in the inner sanctuary of the Temple. Their outspread wings reached from wall to wall, while their inner wings touched at the center of the room. ²⁸ He overlaid the two cherubim with gold.
 ²⁹ He decorated all the walls of the inner sanctuary and the main room with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. ³⁰ He overlaid the floor in both rooms with gold.
 ³¹ For the entrance to the inner sanctuary, he made double doors of wild olive wood with five-sided doorposts.^{[s] 32} These double doors were decorated with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. The doors, including the decorations of cherubim and palm trees, were overlaid with gold.
 ³³ Then he made four-sided doorposts of wild olive wood for the entrance to the Temple. ³⁴ There were two folding doors of cypress wood, and each door was hinged to fold back upon itself. ³⁵ These doors were decorated with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers—all overlaid evenly with gold.
 ³⁶ The walls of the inner courtyard were built so that there was one layer of cedar beams between every three layers of finished stone.
 ³⁷ The foundation of the LORD’s Temple was laid in midspring, in the month of Ziv,^[t] during the fourth year of Solomon’s reign. ³⁸ The entire building was completed in every detail by midautumn, in the month of Bul,^[u] during the eleventh year of his reign. So it took seven years to build the Temple.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Kings 5:1 Verses 5:1-18 are numbered 5:15-32 in Hebrew text.
2. 1 Kings 5:9 Hebrew the sea.
3. 1 Kings 5:11 Hebrew 20,000 cors [3,640 kiloliters].
4. 1 Kings 5:11 As in Greek version, which reads 20,000 baths [420 kiloliters] (see also 2 Chr 2:10); Hebrew reads 20 cors, about 800 gallons or 3.6 kiloliters in volume.
5. 1 Kings 5:16 As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 2 Chr 2:2, 18); Hebrew reads 3,300.
6. 1 Kings 6:1 Hebrew It was in the month of Ziv, which is the second month. This month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar usually occurs within the months of April and May.
7. 1 Kings 6:2 Hebrew 60 cubits [27.6 meters] long, 20 cubits [9.2 meters] wide, and 30 cubits [13.8 meters] high.
8. 1 Kings 6:3 Hebrew 20 cubits [9.2 meters]; also in 6:16, 20.
9. 1 Kings 6:3 Hebrew 10 cubits [4.6 meters].
10. 1 Kings 6:6 Hebrew the bottom floor being 5 cubits [2.3 meters] wide, the second floor 6 cubits [2.8 meters] wide, and the top floor 7 cubits [3.2 meters] wide.
11. 1 Kings 6:8 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads middle floor.
12. 1 Kings 6:10 Hebrew 5 cubits [2.3 meters].
13. 1 Kings 6:17 Hebrew 40 cubits [18.4 meters].
14. 1 Kings 6:20 Or overlaid the altar with cedar. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
15. 1 Kings 6:21 Or to draw curtains across. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
16. 1 Kings 6:23 Or pine; Hebrew reads oil tree; also in 6:31, 33.
17. 1 Kings 6:23 Hebrew 10 cubits [4.6 meters]; also in 6:24, 25.
18. 1 Kings 6:24 Hebrew 5 cubits [2.3 meters].
19. 1 Kings 6:31 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
20. 1 Kings 6:37 Hebrew was laid in the month of Ziv. This month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar usually occurs within the months of April and May.
21. 1 Kings 6:38 Hebrew by the month of Bul, which is the eighth month. This month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar usually occurs within the months of October and November.

Acts 7:1-29

New Living Translation (NLT)

Acts 7

Stephen Addresses the Council

 ¹ Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these accusations true?”  ² This was Stephen’s reply: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran.^{[a] 3} God told him, ‘Leave your native land and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.’^{[b] 4} So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you now live.
 ⁵ “But God gave him no inheritance here, not even one square foot of land. God did promise, however, that eventually the whole land would belong to Abraham and his descendants—even though he had no children yet. ⁶ God also told him that his descendants would live in a foreign land, where they would be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. ⁷ ‘But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,’ God said, ‘and in the end they will come out and worship me here in this place.’^[c]
 8 “God also gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision at that time. So when Abraham became the father of Isaac, he circumcised him on the eighth day. And the practice was continued when Isaac became the father of Jacob, and when Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Israelite nation.
 ⁹ “These patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him ¹⁰ and rescued him from all his troubles. And God gave him favor before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom, so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all of Egypt and put him in charge of the palace.
 ¹¹ “But a famine came upon Egypt and Canaan. There was great misery, and our ancestors ran out of food. ¹² Jacob heard that there was still grain in Egypt, so he sent his sons—our ancestors—to buy some. ¹³ The second time they went, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers,^[d] and they were introduced to Pharaoh. ¹⁴ Then Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, and all his relatives to come to Egypt, seventy-five persons in all. ¹⁵ So Jacob went to Egypt. He died there, as did our ancestors. ¹⁶ Their bodies were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb Abraham had bought for a certain price from Hamor’s sons in Shechem.
 ¹⁷ “As the time drew near when God would fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased. ¹⁸ But then a new king came to the throne of Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph. ¹⁹ This king exploited our people and oppressed them, forcing parents to abandon their newborn babies so they would die.
 ²⁰ “At that time Moses was born—a beautiful child in God’s eyes. His parents cared for him at home for three months. ²¹ When they had to abandon him, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son. ²² Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action.
 ²³ “One day when Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the people of Israel. ²⁴ He saw an Egyptian mistreating an Israelite. So Moses came to the man’s defense and avenged him, killing the Egyptian. ²⁵ Moses assumed his fellow Israelites would realize that God had sent him to rescue them, but they didn’t.
 ²⁶ “The next day he visited them again and saw two men of Israel fighting. He tried to be a peacemaker. ‘Men,’ he said, ‘you are brothers. Why are you fighting each other?’
 ²⁷ “But the man in the wrong pushed Moses aside. ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ he asked. ²⁸ ‘Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?’ ²⁹ When Moses heard that, he fled the country and lived as a foreigner in the land of Midian. There his two sons were born.

Footnotes:

1. Acts 7:2 Mesopotamia was the region now called Iraq. Haran was a city in what is now called Syria.
2. Acts 7:3 Gen 12:1.
3. Acts 7:7 Gen 12:7; 15:13-14; Exod 3:12.
4. Acts 7:13 Other manuscripts read Joseph was recognized by his brothers.

Psalm 127:1-5

New Living Translation (NLT)

Psalm 127

Psalm 127

    A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of Solomon. ¹ Unless the LORD builds a house,
      the work of the builders is wasted.
   Unless the LORD protects a city,
      guarding it with sentries will do no good.
 ² It is useless for you to work so hard
      from early morning until late at night,
   anxiously working for food to eat;
      for God gives rest to his loved ones.
 ³ Children are a gift from the LORD;
      they are a reward from him.
 ⁴ Children born to a young man
      are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
 ⁵ How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!
      He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.

Proverbs 16:28-30

New Living Translation (NLT)

 ²⁸ A troublemaker plants seeds of strife;
      gossip separates the best of friends.
 ²⁹ Violent people mislead their companions,
      leading them down a harmful path.
 ³⁰ With narrowed eyes, people plot evil;
      with a smirk, they plan their mischief.

Tuesday, Feb 21, 2012 - One Year Bible (June 8 Reading)

4:45 a.m. Prayer/Devotion

Song - He Wants It All
Forever Jones
http://youtu.be/47elk3n3_3s

5:40 a.m. - Cardio / Weights "Upper Body"

1 Kings 3:3-4:34; Acts 6:1-5; Psalm 126:1-6; Proverbs 16:26-27

1 Kings 3:3-4:34

New Living Translation (NLT)

 ³ Solomon loved the LORD and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship. ⁴ The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings. ⁵ That night the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”
 ⁶ Solomon replied, “You showed faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued your faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.
 ⁷ “Now, O LORD my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. ⁸ And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! ⁹ Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”
 ¹⁰ The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. ¹¹ So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— ¹² I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! ¹³ And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! ¹⁴ And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”
 ¹⁵ Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem and stood before the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, where he sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he invited all his officials to a great banquet.

Solomon Judges Wisely

 ¹⁶ Some time later two prostitutes came to the king to have an argument settled. ¹⁷ “Please, my lord,” one of them began, “this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was with me in the house. ¹⁸ Three days later this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there were only two of us in the house.  ¹⁹ “But her baby died during the night when she rolled over on it. ²⁰ Then she got up in the night and took my son from beside me while I was asleep. She laid her dead child in my arms and took mine to sleep beside her. ²¹ And in the morning when I tried to nurse my son, he was dead! But when I looked more closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t my son at all.”
 ²² Then the other woman interrupted, “It certainly was your son, and the living child is mine.”
   “No,” the first woman said, “the living child is mine, and the dead one is yours.” And so they argued back and forth before the king.
 ²³ Then the king said, “Let’s get the facts straight. Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says that the dead one belongs to the other. ²⁴ All right, bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought to the king.
 ²⁵ Then he said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one woman and half to the other!”
 ²⁶ Then the woman who was the real mother of the living child, and who loved him very much, cried out, “Oh no, my lord! Give her the child—please do not kill him!”
   But the other woman said, “All right, he will be neither yours nor mine; divide him between us!”
 ²⁷ Then the king said, “Do not kill the child, but give him to the woman who wants him to live, for she is his mother!”
 ²⁸ When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice.

1 Kings 4

Solomon’s Officials and Governors

 ¹ King Solomon now ruled over all Israel, ² and these were his high officials:    Azariah son of Zadok was the priest.
 ³ Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, were court secretaries.
   Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian.
 ⁴ Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of the army.
   Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
 ⁵ Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the district governors.
   Zabud son of Nathan, a priest, was a trusted adviser to the king.
 ⁶ Ahishar was manager of the palace property.
   Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the labor force.
 ⁷ Solomon also had twelve district governors who were over all Israel. They were responsible for providing food for the king’s household. Each of them arranged provisions for one month of the year. ⁸ These are the names of the twelve governors:
   Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim.
 ⁹ Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-bethhanan.
 ¹⁰ Ben-hesed, in Arubboth, including Socoh and all the land of Hepher.
 ¹¹ Ben-abinadab, in all of Naphoth-dor.^[a] (He was married to Taphath, one of Solomon’s daughters.)
 ¹² Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, all of Beth-shan^[b] near Zarethan below Jezreel, and all the territory from Beth-shan to Abel-meholah and over to Jokmeam.
 ¹³ Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead, including the Towns of Jair (named for Jair of the tribe of Manasseh^[c]) in Gilead, and in the Argob region of Bashan, including sixty large fortified towns with bronze bars on their gates.
 ¹⁴ Ahinadab son of Iddo, in Mahanaim.
 ¹⁵ Ahimaaz, in Naphtali. (He was married to Basemath, another of Solomon’s daughters.)
 ¹⁶ Baana son of Hushai, in Asher and in Aloth.
 ¹⁷ Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar.
 ¹⁸ Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin.
 ¹⁹ Geber son of Uri, in the land of Gilead,^[d] including the territories of King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan.
   There was also one governor over the land of Judah.^[e]

Solomon’s Prosperity and Wisdom

 ²⁰ The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink. ^{21 [f]}Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River^[g] in the north to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt in the south. The conquered peoples of those lands sent tribute money to Solomon and continued to serve him throughout his lifetime.  ²² The daily food requirements for Solomon’s palace were 150 bushels of choice flour and 300 bushels of meal^[h]; ²³ also 10 oxen from the fattening pens, 20 pasture-fed cattle, 100 sheep or goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roe deer, and choice poultry.^[i]
 24 Solomon’s dominion extended over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza. And there was peace on all his borders. ²⁵ During the lifetime of Solomon, all of Judah and Israel lived in peace and safety. And from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, each family had its own home and garden.^[j]
 26 Solomon had 4,000^[k] stalls for his chariot horses, and he had 12,000 horses.^[l]
 27 The district governors faithfully provided food for King Solomon and his court; each made sure nothing was lacking during the month assigned to him. ²⁸ They also brought the necessary barley and straw for the royal horses in the stables.
 ²⁹ God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore. ³⁰ In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. ³¹ He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite and the sons of Mahol—Heman, Calcol, and Darda. His fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations. ³² He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. ³³ He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish. ³⁴ And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Kings 4:11 Hebrew Naphath-dor, a variant spelling of Naphoth-dor.
2. 1 Kings 4:12 Hebrew Beth-shean, a variant spelling of Beth-shan; also in 4:12b.
3. 1 Kings 4:13 Hebrew Jair son of Manasseh; compare 1 Chr 2:22.
4. 1 Kings 4:19 Greek version reads of Gad; compare 4:13.
5. 1 Kings 4:19 As in some Greek manuscripts; Hebrew lacks of Judah. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
6. 1 Kings 4:21 Verses 4:21-34 are numbered 5:1-14 in Hebrew text.
7. 1 Kings 4:21 Hebrew the river; also in 4:24.
8. 1 Kings 4:22 Hebrew 30 cors [5.5 kiloliters] of choice flour and 60 cors [11 kiloliters] of meal.
9. 1 Kings 4:23 Or and fattened geese.
10. 1 Kings 4:25 Hebrew each family lived under its own grapevine and under its own fig tree.
11. 1 Kings 4:26 As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 2 Chr 9:25); Hebrew reads 40,000.
12. 1 Kings 4:26 Or 12,000 charioteers.

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New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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Acts 6:1-5

New Living Translation (NLT)

Acts 6

Seven Men Chosen to Serve

 ¹ But as the believers^[a] rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.  ² So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. ³ And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. ⁴ Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.”
 ⁵ Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith).

Footnotes:

1. Acts 6:1 Greek disciples; also in 6:2, 7.

God, Could You Please Hurry? - February 20, 2012

February 20, 2012 God, Could You Please Hurry? Amy Carroll

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV 1984)

I completely lost my patience and started yelling, "Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!"

Those of us who have lived in rural areas know that tractors on the road are a fact of life. However, just because they're the norm doesn't make them any less irritating if you're in a rush! I followed a tractor down one of our narrow two-lane roads recently. I could only take the snail's pace for so long before blowing up. But all that yelling, "Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!" didn't speed up the tractor.

How often have I approached God's timing the same way? And it never hurries Him up either.

When God doesn't operate at a pace that pleases me, and I want Him to hurry, I'm reminded of Sarah, Abraham's wife. I have feeling she felt the same way. After waiting ten years for a baby that God had promised (read Genesis 12-21 for the complete story), Sarah decided to "help" God.

Surely ten years was too long for anybody to wait. So Sarah gave her maidservant Hagar to her husband, and the two of them had a child. Soon the two women were at odds. Talk about a soap opera!

Finally, fifteen years later, the child promised by God to Abraham and Sarah was born. God was not late. His timing was perfect. It was Sarah who was in a hurry and rushing things, but she found out there was a price to pay for manipulating her circumstances.

I know Sarah and I are not alone in our desire for God to hurry up. I once heard it said that we are people with gods on our wrists.

In Isaiah 55:9 God says, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (NIV). God's timing is part of His ways. I may be tapping my watch, but He is never late. He may seem slow, but He is always right on time.

Has God made a promise to you that seems sluggish in coming? Has He planted a dream in your heart that has yet to come to fruition?

Don't give up hope! God is faithful, and you can rely on His perfect timing. Fix your eyes on Him and enjoy the journey to your destination. There are things to be learned along the way that will enhance the joy of a promise fulfilled.

Dear Lord, sometimes I don't understand Your timing. It's often very hard to wait, but I trust You. I want to rely on Your ways and Your timing. Help me to learn what I need to learn as I wait. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Jesus?

What Happens When Women Walk in Faith by Lysa TerKeurst

Visit Amy's blog for more encouragement.

What to do in the W.A.I.T., message on CD by Wendy Pope

Reflect and Respond:
What are some of the plans or dreams you believe God has placed in your heart?

Have you manipulated circumstances to try to see those dreams come true, or are you focused and committed to waiting for God's timing?

What does God want you to learn in times of waiting?

Power Verses:
Psalm 130:5, "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope." (NIV 1984)

2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (NIV 1984)

Monday, February 20, 2012 - June 7 "One Year Bible"

4:45 a.m. Prayer /Devotion
                Song "Draw Me Nearer"

5:30 a.m. Weights - Total Body

1 King 2:2-3:2;Acts 5:1-42; Psalm 125:1-5; Proverbs 16:25

1 Kings 2:2-3:2

New Living Translation (NLT)

 ² “I am going where everyone on earth must someday go. Take courage and be a man. ³ Observe the requirements of the LORD your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go. ⁴ If you do this, then the LORD will keep the promise he made to me. He told me, ‘If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their heart and soul, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’
 ⁵ “And there is something else. You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me when he murdered my two army commanders, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He pretended that it was an act of war, but it was done in a time of peace,^[a] staining his belt and sandals with innocent blood.^{[b] 6} Do with him what you think best, but don’t let him grow old and go to his grave in peace.^[c]
 7 “Be kind to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead. Make them permanent guests at your table, for they took care of me when I fled from your brother Absalom.
 ⁸ “And remember Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin. He cursed me with a terrible curse as I was fleeing to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I swore by the LORD that I would not kill him. ⁹ But that oath does not make him innocent. You are a wise man, and you will know how to arrange a bloody death for him.^[d]”
 ¹⁰ Then David died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. ¹¹ David had reigned over Israel for forty years, seven of them in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. ¹² Solomon became king and sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.

Solomon Establishes His Rule

 ¹³ One day Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, came to see Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Have you come with peaceful intentions?” she asked him.    “Yes,” he said, “I come in peace. ¹⁴ In fact, I have a favor to ask of you.”
   “What is it?” she asked.
 ¹⁵ He replied, “As you know, the kingdom was rightfully mine; all Israel wanted me to be the next king. But the tables were turned, and the kingdom went to my brother instead; for that is the way the LORD wanted it. ¹⁶ So now I have just one favor to ask of you. Please don’t turn me down.”
   “What is it?” she asked.
 ¹⁷ He replied, “Speak to King Solomon on my behalf, for I know he will do anything you request. Ask him to let me marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem.”
 ¹⁸ “All right,” Bathsheba replied. “I will speak to the king for you.”
 ¹⁹ So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak on Adonijah’s behalf. The king rose from his throne to meet her, and he bowed down before her. When he sat down on his throne again, the king ordered that a throne be brought for his mother, and she sat at his right hand.
 ²⁰ “I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “I hope you won’t turn me down.”
   “What is it, my mother?” he asked. “You know I won’t refuse you.”
 ²¹ “Then let your brother Adonijah marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem,” she replied.
 ²² “How can you possibly ask me to give Abishag to Adonijah?” King Solomon demanded. “You might as well ask me to give him the kingdom! You know that he is my older brother, and that he has Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah on his side.”
 ²³ Then King Solomon made a vow before the LORD: “May God strike me and even kill me if Adonijah has not sealed his fate with this request. ²⁴ The LORD has confirmed me and placed me on the throne of my father, David; he has established my dynasty as he promised. So as surely as the LORD lives, Adonijah will die this very day!” ²⁵ So King Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him, and Adonijah was put to death.
 ²⁶ Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your home in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not kill you now, because you carried the Ark of the Sovereign LORD for David my father and you shared all his hardships.” ²⁷ So Solomon deposed Abiathar from his position as priest of the LORD, thereby fulfilling the prophecy the LORD had given at Shiloh concerning the descendants of Eli.
 ²⁸ Joab had not joined Absalom’s earlier rebellion, but he had joined Adonijah’s rebellion. So when Joab heard about Adonijah’s death, he ran to the sacred tent of the LORD and grabbed on to the horns of the altar. ²⁹ When this was reported to King Solomon, he sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him.
 ³⁰ Benaiah went to the sacred tent of the LORD and said to Joab, “The king orders you to come out!”
   But Joab answered, “No, I will die here.”
   So Benaiah returned to the king and told him what Joab had said.
 ³¹ “Do as he said,” the king replied. “Kill him there beside the altar and bury him. This will remove the guilt of Joab’s senseless murders from me and from my father’s family. ³² The LORD will repay him^[e] for the murders of two men who were more righteous and better than he. For my father knew nothing about the deaths of Abner son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and of Amasa son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. ³³ May their blood be on Joab and his descendants forever, and may the LORD grant peace forever to David, his descendants, his dynasty, and his throne.”
 ³⁴ So Benaiah son of Jehoiada returned to the sacred tent and killed Joab, and he was buried at his home in the wilderness. ³⁵ Then the king appointed Benaiah to command the army in place of Joab, and he installed Zadok the priest to take the place of Abiathar.
 ³⁶ The king then sent for Shimei and told him, “Build a house here in Jerusalem and live there. But don’t step outside the city to go anywhere else. ³⁷ On the day you so much as cross the Kidron Valley, you will surely die; and your blood will be on your own head.”
 ³⁸ Shimei replied, “Your sentence is fair; I will do whatever my lord the king commands.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.
 ³⁹ But three years later two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. When Shimei learned where they were, ⁴⁰ he saddled his donkey and went to Gath to search for them. When he found them, he brought them back to Jerusalem.
 ⁴¹ Solomon heard that Shimei had left Jerusalem and had gone to Gath and returned. ⁴² So the king sent for Shimei and demanded, “Didn’t I make you swear by the LORD and warn you not to go anywhere else or you would surely die? And you replied, ‘The sentence is fair; I will do as you say.’ ⁴³ Then why haven’t you kept your oath to the LORD and obeyed my command?”
 ⁴⁴ The king also said to Shimei, “You certainly remember all the wicked things you did to my father, David. May the LORD now bring that evil on your own head. ⁴⁵ But may I, King Solomon, receive the LORD’s blessings, and may one of David’s descendants always sit on this throne in the presence of the LORD.” ⁴⁶ Then, at the king’s command, Benaiah son of Jehoiada took Shimei outside and killed him.
   So the kingdom was now firmly in Solomon’s grip.

1 Kings 3

Solomon Asks for Wisdom

 ¹ Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and married one of his daughters. He brought her to live in the City of David until he could finish building his palace and the Temple of the LORD and the wall around the city. ² At that time the people of Israel sacrificed their offerings at local places of worship, for a temple honoring the name of the LORD had not yet been built.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Kings 2:5 Or He murdered them during a time of peace as revenge for deaths they had caused in time of war.
2. 1 Kings 2:5 As in some Greek and Old Latin manuscripts; Hebrew reads with the blood of war.
3. 1 Kings 2:6 Hebrew don’t let his white head go down to Sheol in peace.
4. 1 Kings 2:9 Hebrew how to bring his white head down to Sheol in blood.
5. 1 Kings 2:32 Hebrew will return his blood on his own head.

Acts 5:1-42

New Living Translation (NLT)

Acts 5

Ananias and Sapphira

 ¹ But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. ² He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest.  ³ Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. ⁴ The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!”
 ⁵ As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. ⁶ Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him.
 ⁷ About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸ Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?”
   “Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.”
 ⁹ And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.”
 ¹⁰ Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹ Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.

The Apostles Heal Many

 ¹² The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. ¹³ But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. ¹⁴ Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. ¹⁵ As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. ¹⁶ Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil^[a] spirits, and they were all healed.

The Apostles Meet Opposition

 ¹⁷ The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. ¹⁸ They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. ¹⁹ But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, ²⁰ “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!”  ²¹ So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching.
   When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council^[b]—the full assembly of the elders of Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought from the jail for trial. ²² But when the Temple guards went to the jail, the men were gone. So they returned to the council and reported, ²³ “The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!”
 ²⁴ When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end. ²⁵ Then someone arrived with startling news: “The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!”
 ²⁶ The captain went with his Temple guards and arrested the apostles, but without violence, for they were afraid the people would stone them. ²⁷ Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them. ²⁸ “Didn’t we tell you never again to teach in this man’s name?” he demanded. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!”
 ²⁹ But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. ³⁰ The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross.^{[c] 31} Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. ³² We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.”
 ³³ When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them. ³⁴ But one member, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was an expert in religious law and respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be sent outside the council chamber for a while. ³⁵ Then he said to his colleagues, “Men of Israel, take care what you are planning to do to these men! ³⁶ Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great. About 400 others joined him, but he was killed, and all his followers went their various ways. The whole movement came to nothing. ³⁷ After him, at the time of the census, there was Judas of Galilee. He got people to follow him, but he was killed, too, and all his followers were scattered.
 ³⁸ “So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. ³⁹ But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!”
 ⁴⁰ The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.
 ⁴¹ The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.^{[d] 42} And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.”

Footnotes:

1. Acts 5:16 Greek unclean.
2. Acts 5:21 Greek Sanhedrin; also in 5:27, 41.
3. Acts 5:30 Greek on a tree.
4. Acts 5:41 Greek for the name.

Psalm 125:1-5

New Living Translation (NLT)

Psalm 125

Psalm 125

    A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. ¹ Those who trust in the LORD are as secure as Mount Zion;
      they will not be defeated but will endure forever.
 ² Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem,
      so the LORD surrounds his people, both now and forever.
 ³ The wicked will not rule the land of the godly,
      for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong.
 ⁴ O LORD, do good to those who are good,
      whose hearts are in tune with you.
 ⁵ But banish those who turn to crooked ways, O LORD.
      Take them away with those who do evil.
   May Israel have peace!

Proverbs 16:25

New Living Translation (NLT)

 ²⁵ There is a path before each person that seems right,
      but it ends in death.

Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012 - Encouragement - Even in the Darkness

February 15, 2012 Even in the Darkness Wendy Blight

"...all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it to dry land." Exodus 14:21 (NIV)

Does God feel far away? Do you feel alone and afraid? Does life seem dark?

At one point I answered "yes" to each of these questions. Following a tragic incident in my life, fear filled my heart. God seemed so distant and I felt completely alone.

During that very dark time, God lead me to the story of the Israelites' escape from slavery in Egypt. Initially, Pharaoh agreed to let God's people go, but soon after they left, he changed his mind. He began to pursue them with 600 of his best chariots. The approaching army terrified the Israelites. They cried out to their leader, Moses.

Moses reminded the people of God's promise that He would deliver them. But circumstances barreling toward them said otherwise. The Israelites heard the rumbling of the chariots charging at them. They saw a huge body of water blocking their only escape.

Can you imagine their fear? The reality they knew was that Pharaoh's finest soldiers were pursuing them, and there was a colossal obstacle, the Red Sea, preventing their escape. God's people had no idea the miracle awaiting them.

When Moses stretched out his hand over the water, Scripture says, "...all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it to dry land" (Exodus 14:21b NIV). Because it was dark, the Israelites couldn't quite see what God was doing.

In the black of night, the Lord tirelessly worked on behalf of His children to deliver them, just as He had promised.

It's as if the words of this story leapt off the pages of Scripture and into my desolate heart. Although the Israelites could not see or hear God, He was moving in the midst of their darkness. I too could not "see" or "feel" God, but He was at work around me in invisible ways - present and active on my behalf to carry me through my bleak place.

In the dark, we have two choices. We can take matters into our own hands, turning to drugs or alcohol to numb the pain, seeking advice or reading the latest self-help book, never knowing if any of them is the way to healing and wholeness. Or we can look to God. We can open His Word, knowing He guarantees healing and wholeness.

Would you like the truth of God's Word to come alive for you? Would you like Him to come alongside you? You need only ask. The Lord promises, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV). Like He was for the Israelites, He is there for us. And He is always working on our behalf, even when we can't see or feel Him.

Today, if you are in the darkness; if your circumstances are threatening to consume you; if you feel utterly defeated... seek the Lord. Ask Him to rescue you and remember this, He is there... parting your "Red Sea" even now.

Dear Heavenly Father, it is so difficult to walk through darkness. You feel so far away. I feel so alone. Thank You for the promise that You will never leave me or forsake me, and that there is nothing in all creation that will ever separate me from the love I have in You and in Your Son. Walk ever so closely with me during this darkness, Lord. Speak to me. Give me hope. Show me the treasures in my darkness. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner: The Transforming Power of God's Story by Wendy Blight

For more of Wendy's story, visit her blog.

Join our Proverbs 31 Ministries Facebook community for daily truth and hope!

Reflect and Respond:
Isaiah 61:1, "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to...bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captive and release from darkness for the prisoners..." (NIV) God the Healer, Jesus the Redeemer, binds up my brokenness, shows me the way to freedom, and releases me from the darkness. He is waiting for me.

Sometimes God allows difficult circumstances to do a mighty transformational work in our lives. Are my difficult circumstances part of His refining process to help me trust Him and make me more like Him?

Power Verses:
1 John 1:5b, "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." (NIV)

Romans 8:38-39, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus." (NIV)