Quiet Time: Do Not be Stiff-necked but Yield Yourselves to the Lord

2Ch 30:2 For the king and his leaders and all the assembly in Jerusalem had agreed to keep the Passover in the second month.

3 For they could not keep it at the regular time, because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves, nor had the people gathered together at Jerusalem.

They couldn't keep the passover because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves. This gives me pause to think. When I come into the presence of the Lord, have I consecrated myself first? Do I come into God's presence flippantly? Do I come with other things on my mind? Am I really ready to worship when I come to church or am I rushing in where angels fear to tread?

2Ch 30:8 "Now do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you.

Do not be stiff-necked but yield yourselves to the Lord, enter His sanctuary and serve the Lord your God. This word picture speaks to me. My neck is often stiff literally. Perhaps when my neck is stiff, I should remember this command. Stiff and yield. These are two words with opposite meaning. Yield means to be pliable in the hand of God. Stiff-necked means one is stubborn and unwilling to change. Something for me to think about in relation to recent events of losing my long time physical therapist. I have been "stiff-necked" in refusing to let anyone but him treat me and now that he is gone, I am still having trouble being willing to go back knowing he will not be there and I will need to change therapists. This speaks to me.

2Ch 30:10 So the runners passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun; but they laughed at them and mocked them.

2Ch 30:12 Also the hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders, at the word of the LORD.

How often have the commands of God been laughed and mocked at? How often have God's ministers in pulpits today been laughed and mocked for the message they bring? These two verses underscore a very important point. It is not our responsibility to coerce people to obey God and yield their hearts to Him. Our responsibility is only to give the gospel to them. God is the one who, if He is pleased to do so, will give them a heart to obey Him. This takes a load off me. If those I witness to don't respond favorably, it's not my fault. I am only responsible to share the Gospel. God is the one who brings the increase and causes them to come.

Quiet Time Reflections

2Ch 12:1 ¶ And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him.

I see that success can leave one vulnerable to pride and to forsaking God.

I see that forsaking God can have a ripple effect--all Israel went with him. I never know how many people I may lead astray if I forsake God.

2Ch 12:5 Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.

I see that God will bring judgment on those that forsake Him.

2Ch 12:6 Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The LORD is righteous.

I see that humility is the way back into God's favor.

2Ch 12:14 And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.

I see that when I fail to prepare my heart to seek God, I do evil. I should not come into His presence flippantly.

2Ch 14:11 And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.

I see that God is all powerful, in control of all. He can do great things with few or with many and with those who have no power.

What a comfort this is!

Quiet Time Reflections for Today: A Willing Mind

1Ch 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

1Ch 29:5 The gold for things of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the LORD?

1Ch 29:9 Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

The last couple days I've been in 1 Chronicles 28-29. I've noticed that having a willing mind or being willing to offer service to the Lord is mentioned several times as you can see in the verses above.

That phrase, a willing mind kind of stuck out at me. It's an attitude of heart. In thinking about the changes in my life that are taking place presently, I see that I must have a willing heart to accept what God is doing. I must be willing to let go of those that God is moving away from me. I must be willing to accept a new physical therapist to take the place of the one moving away.

There are so many more areas of my life that I need to learn to have a willing mind to obey God's directive in my life and accept His providence.

Whenever I find myself falling into self pity or worrying about what the future will be like without the people or things God takes away from me, then I am not having a willing mind. It's an attitude of heart that I need to develop. It encompasses being content with God's wisdom and providence in my life. It's a quality of not getting ruffled and upset, but willing to accept from His hand what He deems best for me.

Quiet Time Reflections: Jabez's Prayer

1Ch 4:9 And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.

10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

Jabez prayed for God to bless him in the following ways:

1. that God would enlarge his coasts~applied to my life, I can pray that God would enlarge my sphere of influence, that He would use me to bring others to faith in Him
2. That God's hand would be with him~that God's hand of guidance would be with me, that He would guide me in the way that I should go. This can't be done outside of daily time spent in His Word.
3. that God would keep him from evil that it might not grieve him~this can be applied in several ways. I can pray that God would keep me from committing evil. I can pray that God would protect me from evil that would come at me from outside myself, either through the eyes, ears or physical harm.

This is a great prayer. I find it significant that these two verse come right in the middle of a long and boring genealogy. It is like a breath of fresh air, an oasis in a desert of names that I can't even pronounce much less know anything about for the most part. For God to put that there it must be important for me to know. This is something I can take along and meditate on.

Quiet time: Dealing with Overwhelm

• Dealing With Overwhelm

1Ki 19:1 ¶ And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.

1. Things outside my control can cause overwhelm.

• Sometimes as I read the news, I begin to feel like Elijah here. I want to push my kids to hurry up and get through their school work and work ahead. I feel like I want to run for my life through the school curriculum so we can beat the government to the punch.
• Family Crises such as death, illness, disasters can overwhelm us.

4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

2. Comparing Ourselves to Others Can Cause Overwhelm

When we get overwhelmed and stressed, how often do we sit down under our proverbial juniper trees and have a pity party? Notice here that Elijah was comparing himself to his ancestors and came to the conclusion that he wasn't any better than they so he may as well die.

How often do we as homeschool moms look at what some other homeschool family is doing, compare ourselves to them and decide based on that that we are no good at this, we may as well throw in the towel? Or how many of us look at our public schooled friends kids and see their names in the school district paper for accomplishments they have been recognized for and think, “Wow, I am depriving my kids of opportunities in life!”

And then there are the relatives and friends who are not altogether supportive of your homeschooling efforts. They begin to raise questions about how will they qualify for scholarships? How will they meet the requirements for college entrance? How will they prove they have completed a high school education so they can get a job? How will they make it in the world...they've been so sheltered? What about their social life?

When we allow ourselves to be compared to other homeshool families or those outside of homeschooling, this is a prescription for overwhelm.

Don't listen to the Enemy's jabs and accusations. It will only land you under your juniper tree to have a pity party.

3. The Enormity of the Task Ahead Can Cause Overwhelm..
   Elijah was running for his life. He was looking ahead and what he imagined caused him despair because he didn't see a way out.

Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

If we look ahead and worry about the future we are only using up tomorrow's strength today.

We need to take each day as it comes, one day at a time, sometimes one hour at a time. That's not to say don't plan ahead, since in homeschooling if you don't plan anything nothing will get accomplished. But in your planning, plan flexibility in and once your plans are laid out, take it one day at a time and make adjustments where necessary as you go. Be flexible or be miserable.

Also, take a look at what you are doing.

What can you delegate to your kids?

What can you eliminate?

What can you do to stream-line things so they don't get all piled up on you?

How can you break bigger jobs down into several smaller jobs so it's not so overwhelming?

5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.

8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

4. Physical Nourishment, water and rest are essentials to combat overwhelm.

In Elijah's time of overwhelm notice how God took care of him. He encouraged him to nourish himself, drink water and rest. If you are in a period of overwhelm, I can not stress enough how important it is to give yourself good nourishment, drink lots of water and get good rest.

5.Spiritual Nourishment is essential to combating overwhelm.

Don't neglect spiritual nourishment as well. Dig deep into Scripture and find comfort and encouragement for your soul. Start now to keep a journal of verses, quotes and other things that you find along the way that are particularly encouraging to you. Then when you have stressful times when you are having trouble just thinking...turn to your journal and find those comforting scripture verses and encouraging quotes that you have picked up along the way. It comes in real handy.

6. Remember, you are not the only one dealing with the issues you face.

9 ¶ And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?

What doest thou here? Ever had that happen? You are overwhelmed, sitting under your juniper tree on your pity pot and the Lord says in your heart, “What are you doing here?”

Listen to what Elijah says:

10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

And I say to the Lord, “I've worked so hard trying to be a wife, mom, homemaker, and teacher. I conquer this house, but it's a mess again before I know it. They don't appreciate me or the work I do. I've been involved in the political scene, trying to make sure we don't lose our freedoms, it seems it does no good. The task of getting my kids through school is too big...there's too much to do. The kids are being unruly, my husband just sits on the couch, and I am the only one who is having these problems. No one else has any problems like these. I'm the only one.

If you read through Elijah's story you'll find that in 1 Kings18:4 that there were was still Obadiah and a hundred prophets left. “For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)” Also in 1Ki 19:18 we find, “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. “ So Elijah really wasn't the only one.

I suspect that he thought he was the only one because he isolated himself from the others. When we get overwhelmed and depressed, we tend to isolate ourselves from others and then we begin to think we are the only one that has our challenges or problems. If you get overwhelmed in your homeschooling or life in general, get out your roster and call someone. Share your struggle, ask them to pray with you and for you. You are not alone.

11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:

12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

7. To combat overwhelm, we need to quiet ourselves before God.

We are often looking for a big sign or a miracle from God. We want the earth to move or something to show us that God is still there. But God often comes in a still small voice. We must quiet ourselves before Him to hear Him sometimes. Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. We must be still to hear God's small still voice. This implies patience with our circumstances and patience with God.

13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

8.Realize that you are human and you will fail but God is patient & faithful to us.

Once again, we see God repeating the question, “What are you doing here?” And Elijah is still sitting on his pity pot.

I love Elijah because he is just like me. So many times God comes through for me in one way or another and yet, I find myself sitting on my pity pot again and again. Elijah gives me encouragement. Not that his life gives me an excuse for anything, but just for the fact that God was so patient and faithful to him and used him in spite of his imperfections.

Ps 103:14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

To sum up, here's what we learned about overwhelm from Elijah:

1. Things outside Our control can cause overwhelm.
2. Comparing Ourselves to Others Can Cause Overwhelm
3. The Enormity of the Task Ahead Can Cause Overwhelm..
4. Physical Nourishment, water and rest are essentials to combat overwhelm.
5. Spiritual Nourishment is essential to combating overwhelm.
6. Remember, you are not the only one dealing with the issues you face.
7. To combat overwhelm, we need to quiet ourselves before God.
8. Realize that you are human and you will fail but God is patient & faithful.

Quiet Time:Ahab wins the prize for doing evil

1Ki 16:31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.

32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

This whole chapter tells of how each successive king did more evil than the one before. It seems almost like a contest. Ahab wins the prize for doing evil according these verses.

1Ki 17:17 ¶ And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.

18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?

19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.

20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?

21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.

22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.

23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.

24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.

(KJV)

The barrel of flour and cruse of oil never ran out as Elijah promised the widow. It was a miracle and yet she didn’t believe he was a man of God and that the word of the Lord in his mouth was truth until her son died and Elijah prayed and God revived him.

What does it take for me to believe God’s promises? God shows me in smaller ways every day that He keeps His promises and His word is truth, but do I doubt Him? Do I have to have a BIG Miracle in order to believe Him? Should I need any signs at all? Shouldn’t I just take Him at his word?

1Ki 18:37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

Here is a simple prayer that we can pray for our nation. God honored this prayer of Elijah when he prayed for a nation that had fallen into deep sin just like our nation has. Perhaps, if we pray, God will see fit to save us and our nation out of the sin we have committed in rejecting Him.

Lord,

You know the mess our nation is in. You know it is because we as a nation have been complacent and have rejected your commandments and You in our leadership. Oh, God, I ask forgiveness of my own sin of complacency and I ask that Your people would rise up as one and stand for what is right no matter the cost. Please, if it be your will, turn our nation around.

Quiet Time~Obedience to God's Word when Another Claims to Speak for Him

1 Kings 13:7 And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. 8 And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place: 9 For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest. 10 So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel. 11 ¶ Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father. 12 And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah. 13 And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon, 14 And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am. 15 Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. 16 And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: 17 For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest. 18 He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. 19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water. 20 And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back: 21 And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee, 22 But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers. 23 ¶ And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24 And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase. 25 And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. 26 And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.

The prophet had God's word telling him what he was supposed to do, but another prophet came along claiming to speak God's words and gave him a message that contradicted what God had told him to do. Instead of sticking to what God had told him, he decided that maybe this other prophet was giving him a more updated message from God. He followed the other prophet's word and it cost him his life.

In modern times, we have God's revealed written word in the Bible. There are many false prophets that come along claiming they have more up to date messages from God and often these messages do not match what God has already said. Many choose to follow these prophets because they are convincing and what they teach strokes their ego. What the false prophet told the man of God in the Scripture reading appealed to his physical need for food and water and comfort. Much of what these modern day prophets teach is not God-centered but man-centered. It appeals to either people's physical needs for comfort or it appeals to their ego. What is sad, is many people follow these prophets instead of what God has already revealed to them in the pages of the Bible and they follow to their ultimate spiritual death.

I need to be careful to always check what I hear from others who claim to speak for God and see if it is in complete agreement with the Bible. This shows how important is is the know the Bible well, so when false teaching comes my way I recognize it.

Dear Father,
Please keep me searching your Word, teaching it to my kids and help us to stay faithful to it and not be led astray by those who would claim to have an updated message from You. Help us to always be comparing the messages we hear with what You have revealed in Your Word, the Bible.

Quiet Time: God is In Control~Oct. 30

1Ki 11:2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

It amazes me that Solomon was so wise and yet in this one area he forsook God's wisdom and it was his downfall.

1Ki 11:9 ¶ And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, 10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. 11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

Solomon did not keep that which the Lord had commanded. In not keeping God's commands, he was turning away from the Lord.

Are there times when the Lord has showed me through His Word what I am to do and I have not obeyed? In not obeying, I am turning away from the Lord. This is convicting.

1Ki 12:8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:

Rehoboam rejected the counsel of the older, wiser men, and went instead with he counsel of the younger ones. It didn't turn out well.

In our society and in our nation's government we are seeing more and more the older, wiser citizens being set aside as too old fashioned and the younger ones are giving advice to our president instead. It is turning out to be disastrous for our nation.

How do I treat the older folks? Am I respectful of them? Do ask for their advice? Do learn from their experience?

1Ki 12:12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. 13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him; 14 And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 15 Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

Once again I am impressed with the fact that God uses evil to accomplish His purposes. It says the king did not listen to the people to grant their request "for the cause was from the Lord". God is in control of the evil that comes our way. If our president and his cronies make life extremely difficult for us, we can still be confident that God is in control. He has a purpose for all of this and it is a good purpose...to purify His church, to separate the sheep from the goats, to test His people to see who will be faithful to Him and He probably has plans that only He knows and we just need to trust Him through this.


Lord,
Please help me to be willing to listen and learn from the older people. Help me, Lord to heed your commands and to not turn away from you in disobedience.

Help me to trust when I don't understand. Help me to be faithful to you if persecution comes my way.

Quiet Time: Glory of the Lord~Oct 29

1Ki 8:10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, 11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD. 12 ¶ Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.



I am inclined to think that when it says the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, it means just that. They could not stand on their feet to carry out their priestly duties because they were so overwhelmed with the glory of God in that place.



I really like that statement Solomon makes when he says the Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. In the context, I think that the cloud of the glory of the Lord caused the area to be covered with a thick darkness, literally. However, in a spiritual sense, this is meaningful as well. In the darkest times of my life, God dwells there. He is with me in the darkness of my life.



1Ki 8:27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?



Our God is big. Nothing can contain Him. You can't put Him in a box, walk around Him and say what you think of Him. He can not be analyzed, scrutinized and pigeon-holed. He is much bigger than that. He is big enough handle my problems.



1Ki 8:33 When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house: {in: or, toward} 34 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their father



I see a picture of our nation in these verses. We are in the process of being smitten down before the enemy because we as a nation have sinned and we as individuals have sinned. The answer to our mess is this:



1. Turn again to God

2. Confess His name

3.Pray

4. Make supplication to Him





1Ki 8:39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)



God is all-knowing. He knows all of our hearts. Should this knowledge not make us more wise in what we think, and do?


My Prayer:
Oh, Lord, You are great and awesome. You are faithful, all knowing and you fill heaven and earth. You dwell in the thick darkness. This gives me much comfort knowing that You are with me in my darkest hours. Fill me with Your glory, Lord, that I might be a reflection of You to a lost and dying world.

Quiet Time~Oct. 28: Solomon's Temple

Today I read 1 Kings 4-5. No verses really stood out to me today, however, I was impressed by the building of the house of the Lord by Solomon. It was an enormous job that took 7 years. As I look at all the stuff that needs to be done in my own house, I get overwhelmed with it all. But reading about how Solomon organized the building of the Lord's house, gives me inspiration. He broke it down into smaller jobs and just started with what needed to be done first and worked until all the smaller jobs added up to the whole thing being completed. This is what I need to do with the things I need to accomplish. Break them down into smaller jobs and work until the whole job is finished. Oh, and I noticed too, that he got help with the work. I shouldn't try to accomplish all this stuff by my self. I should enlist the help of my family.

Something else I noticed. Solomon had cherubims, palm trees and open flowers carved on the wall and doors of the Lord's house. There are some religions today that claim they have temples built after the pattern of the temple that Solomon built, but they have occultic symbols carved or molded into the sides of their temples. They have things like pentagrams and sun gods carved on or in their temples.

I did a little research on the cherubims, palm trees and open flowers that Solomon had carved on the temple. Here is what I learned. This is from Ungers Bible Dictionary.

Cherubims: They were placed at the entrance to the Garden of Eden after Adam & Eve were expelled. There were golden cherubim placed on the cover of the ark of the covenant over looking the mercy seat where the blood for sin was sprinkled and they are mentioned in Rev. 4 where "they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"" "They are evidently connected with vindicating the holiness of God against the presumptuous pride of fallen man... Upon the ark of the covenant they looked down upon the sprinkled blood which symbolizes the perfect maintenance of God's righteousness by the sacrifice of Christ."

Open Flowers: It is generally agreed that these flowers were lilies. Not the sort that we see at Easter, but a field flower that grew among the wheat had regal colors and stems which when dried, were used as fuel for the ovens. There were several species. Some grew among the corn and had stems which were suitable for light fuel. The bridegroom in Song of Solomon calls himself the lily of the valley. Jesus talks of the lilies in Matthew 6:28 "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

I believe these flowers carved on the temple forshadowed the time when Jesus would come as the light of the world. Jesus being called the bridegroom in Revelation, looks back to the Song of Solomon and He could be called the lily of the valley. The lilies were also symbolic of God's care over His people.

Palm Tree: The palm tree was a welcomed sight to weary travelers because it always symbolized rest, shade and refreshment. Where palms grew it meant that there was water. "The palm is a figure of the righteous enjoying their deserved prosperity (Psalm 92:12)...Palm branches are a symbol of victory."

Quiet Time Reflections~Oct 27

1Ki 1:5 ¶ Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king"; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6 (And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, "Why have you done so?" He was also very good-looking. His mother had borne him after Absalom.)

I see in the verses above, a very spoiled child. He was good looking and no doubt popular. It says his father had never rebuked him at any time. So Adonijah thought he could do anything he wanted and have anything he wanted. He completely disrespected his father.

This is disturbing to me as I see those in our nation who really don't give a rip about the older generation. I saw some disturbing video footage on Glenn Beck last night of adults who are in leadership who say that the elders will just have to do without certain medical treatments as they get older so the rest of us can have what we want. It seems a generation of selfish adults has risen up. Is it because they were not denied anything they wanted growing up and now they have an entitlement mentality? It makes me think, how am I raising my own kids? Am I raising them to be spoiled and have a mentality that disrespects their elders and wants gratification at the expense of others? Do I act in this manner?

1Ki 2:2 "I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. 3 "And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn;

Here is the test of a real man. 1. they keep the charge of the Lord 2. They walk in His ways 3. They keep His statutes, commands, judgments and testimonies
This should be what I need to teach my daughter to look for in a man that she might marry.

1Ki 2:8 "And see, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a malicious curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.' 9 "Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood."

Further back, David extended mercy to Shimei and seemed to forgive him. So I was surprised when David gave instructions to Solomon regarding him. David says that Solomon should not hold him guiltless for his sin. Does this mean that David really didn't forgive him? No, I don't think so. It just shows that when we sin, God will forgive us, but often He holds us accountable to suffer the consequences of our sin in this life.

1Ki 3:9 "Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?"

This is a request I should be asking of God. "Give thy servant an understanding heart...that I may discern between good and bad"

Lord, Please help me to take to heart the lessons I've learned from Your Word today. Help me as I raise my kids, that I would not raise up spoiled kids who will create tyranny as adults. Help me to hold them accountable for their actions.

Give me understanding to discern between good and evil.

Help me to teach my daughter the true measure of a man that she might find the right mate for life.

Quiet Time Reflections for Today~Oct 26

A Promise:

2Sa 22:29 "For You are my lamp, O LORD; The LORD shall enlighten my darkness.

Timeless Principle:

2Sa 22:4 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.

2Sa 22:26 "With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;

27 With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.

28 You will save the humble people; But Your eyes are on the haughty, that You may bring them down.

2Sa 22:31 As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

Other verses that jumped out at me:

2Sa 24:24 Then the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

How does this apply to my life?

God's way is perfect. Do I really believe this...when I am in pain, when money is tight, when loved ones are ill, when life gets hard, do I really believe it? If I do, do I act like it?

David would not offer God something that cost him nothing. Do I do this? Do I offer God that which cost me nothing? Do I offer God the left overs of my day, my time, my talents, my money?

Quiet Time Reflections~24

2Samuel 19:18 And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan; 19 And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart. 20 For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king. 21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD'S anointed? 22 And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel? 23 Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.

How does this apply to my life?
Shemei was the man who cursed David and threw dust at him when David was fleeing Absalom's coup. When David returns after Absalom's death, Shemei meets David and confesses that he had sinned against him and tells David to do with him whatever seems good. Abishai recommends that he be put to death, but David is merciful and spares his life. It seems that he forgives the man.

This is instructive to me. When someone wrongs me and comes and confesses what they have done, asking for forgiveness or mercy, it is my duty to extend forgiveness and mercy to them.

I see in this story, an example of what God has done for me through Jesus Christ. Because I am a sinner, and God is holy, I deserve eternal death in Hell. But through God's mercy in Jesus Christ, He has granted me eternal life as I fall on His mercy and forgiveness. What a merciful God we have!

My prayer:
Oh, Lord, thank you for Your mercy. I deserve death in Hell for my sin, yet You are merciful and have granted me eternal life.

Quiet Time Reflections~Oct 23

Today I didn't find any promises, command to obey or timeless principles but I did learn some interesting things in my reading.

David is fleeing because Absalom his son is staging a coup and a man by the name of Shimei comes out and starts cursing David and throwing dust at him as he goes. The man with David wants to go take the man's head off but David says this:

2Samuel 16:10 And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? 11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him. 12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.

How does this apply to my life?

I had to do a double take when I first read this. It's interesting that David said the Lord had told the man to curse him. Here we see that David believes that God is in control of all things, even the evil that a man does. God uses it for His own good purposes in the lives of His people. David shows extreme patience with the man and trusts in the Lord.

Perhaps this should be our stance with those in power who hurl insults at us. We should should just let them alone by not responding to their insults but continue on the offensive, seeking to do what we can to change the course of events and pray for God to defeat the enemy.

My prayer:

Lord, please help me to take a lesson from the life of David. Help me to do what I need to do to help stem the tide of evil in our nation's government by writing my representatives and getting the word out. Help me to not be distracted by the "cursing and dirt throwing" of the enemy, but to trust in You, knowing that You for some reason have ordained this evil in our government and You will eventually use it for good and You will " requite" Your people good for their insults and evil one day. Help us, Lord to patiently wait for that day.

Quiet Time Reflections~Oct 22

I finished Psalms so now I am going back and picking up where I left off in 2 Samuel. Today I did not find any Promises, Commands to Obey or Timeless Principles. But some things did jump out at me.

The setting is where Tamar is raped by her brother Amnon. Absalom, two years later carries out a plan to murder him. Absalom is banished from the area and has Joab choose a woman who pretends to be something she is not...a mourner and Joab puts the words in her mouth that she is to speak to the king. The king figures out Joab is behind what she has to say, so Joab begs David to bring Absalom back to Jerusalem, which he does, but he doesn't want to see his face.

For forty years, Absolaom sits in the city gate and cozys up to the people and wins their hearts over to him. Then he carries out his evil plan to stage a coup and take over the kingdom.

Verses that jumped out at me today:
2Samuel 15:12 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people
increased continually with Absalom.

2Sa 15:31 ¶ And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

How does this apply to my life?
Those who are apposed to the Obama administration's policies and agenda and those who are exposing the socialist, communist ties that his advisers have are mocked and called conspiracy theorists. They are made fun of for being alarmed at what is happening in our nation at this time.

As I read about the coup that Absalom was trying to carry out, I see that conspiracy was a big part of it. After coming to the conclusions that I wrote about yesterday on my Aroma of Change blog, and thinking about those that President Obama has surrounding him and advising him in the White House, I have to pray as David did, " O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of President Obama's advisers into foolishness."

My Prayer:
Oh, Lord, You know the mess our nation is in right now. You know that our leaders are eroding our freedoms in a systematic, calculated way. Oh God, if it be Your will preserve our nation from this destruction of our freedoms. Please make the advice and policies of those who would turn this nation into a socialist nation foolishness and expose them for what they are. And Father, if this is not in Your will and you have something else planned for us, please help us to stay faithful to You. Forgive us for our complacency, purify Your church, Lord.

Quiet Time Reflections~Oct 21

A Command to Obey:
Psalm 150:6 Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

How Does this Apply to My Life?
The last few Psalms center around giving praise to God and focusing on His greatness. I see in the Children of Israel God's displeasure with their complaining. Complaining is the opposite of praise and thanksgiving. How much time do I spend complaining in comparison to giving God praise and thanksgiving? Ouch.

My Prayer:
Lord, I must confess that I am better at complaining than I am at thanksgiving and praise. I've got a stiff neck and headache today. Please help me to not complain but rather find things to be thankful for.

Quiet Time Reflections for Today~Oct

A Command to Obey:

Ps 148:13 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.

How does this apply to my life?

If the Lord's name alone is excellent, then it is He alone that I should praise. When I see my kids doing well or I'm happy about something I've accomplished I should say, "Look what God has helped you to do!" or "God has blessed you with talent." or "God gave me the strength or focus to accomplish this."

My Prayer:

Lord, I often fail to give You the credit and glory. Too often I try to make myself or others look good when it's You that is behind any good or accomplishment that we do. Keep me mindful of who is getting the praise and credit.

Quiet Time Reflections~Oct. 19

A Promise:
Ps 147:11 The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

A Command to Obey:
Ps 147:1 ¶ Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.

Ps 147:7 Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:

A Timeless Principle:
Ps 147:3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

Ps 147:4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.

5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.

How Does This Apply to My Life?

• Praise is commanded. God is pleased when I am thankful.
• God's understanding is infinite. In other words there is no end to His understanding. He knows all the stars by name and how many there are. His knowledge is infinite as well. This means He knows all about me too. He knows my struggles, my weaknesses, my sins.
• I'm so thankful He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. This shows His compassion.
• Do I fear Him? Do I hope in His mercy? He takes pleasure in me when I do.

My Prayer:

Lord, praise and thanksgiving have always been hard for me. Complaining is so much easier especially when things don't go my way. Forgive me for my complaining spirit. Help me to fear You and hope in Your mercy.

Quiet Time Reflections for Today~Oct 18

Ps 146:1 ¶ Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.

What do I have to praise the Lord for today? This is a command.

2 While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

This is a goal I should strive for. I ought to post this on my wall.

3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.

There is no real help in man unless God gives man the ability to help us. Rescue workers can do all they are trained to do, but their help is to no avail unless God sees fit to make their work effective. Teachers can teach, but unless God provides them the ability and the students ability to learn, it does no good. Doctors can help us only if God grants them wisdom and means and the patient healing.

Ps 146:5 ¶ Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:

Quiet Time Reflections for Today~Oct 17

Ps 145:8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

I am so thankful that the Lord is gracious, full of compassion, slow to anger and of great mercy! Where would any of us be right now if He wasn't? How long will He be slow to anger? When will His patience run out? No one knows. This is motivation to want to please Him in all that I do and to warn those who need His continued mercy.

Ps 145:18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

Here is the answer to avoiding God's anger and enjoying His continued mercy. We must call upon him in truth. What is truth? It's found in the Bible, God's Word to us. We must read it and become familiar with it so we know the truth and can call upon Him in truth.

I'm so thankful for God's Word. So thankful to be able to read and know His truth. So thankful for His compassion toward me, and His mercy!