Aug 17, 2024
The 2024 edition of Our Best Thought is inspired by our 2024 Bible Reading Plan and features writings thoughtfully crafted by contributors reflecting on their daily devotions. “Our Best Thought“ is taken from the hymn, “Be Thou My Vision” as a reference to God: “Thou my best thought, by day or by night.”
Reading: 1 Kings 9
Scripture:
1 Kings 9:4-7
4 ‘As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, 5 I will establish your royal throne over Israel for ever, as I promised David your father when I said, “You shall never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.”
6 ‘But if you or your descendants turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 7 then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples.
Observation:
God blesses those who are faithful to Him and fear Him. He blessed Solomon with wisdom and helped him achieve all that he desired to do. God promised Solomon that as long as he obeyed God’s commands and observed all His decrees and laws, He would establish Solomon’s royal throne over Israel forever. However, God also warned Solomon that if he turned away from Him and served and worshipped other gods, He would cut off Israel and destroy the temple.
Application:
As human beings, it is easy to forget what the Lord has done for us and take Him for granted. It is important that we remain faithful to Him and obey His commands and decrees, as He will punish us if we fail to do so. We should always be thankful for our sovereign God, who takes care of us and blesses us when we do right by Him.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for being our awesome God and mighty Father. May we never lose the awe and wonder we have for You. Even when we tend to forget or take for granted the blessings and protection in our lives, I pray that You remind us—whether through Your Word, the Holy Spirit, or the people around us—of who You are; someone who is near to us like a father but also our God, deserving of deep reverent fear. I pray that we continue to worship You, not because of the blessings we receive, but because of the love You have poured out for us through your Son, Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.