Verse of the Day - weekend 5/2

Through the Bible - 2 Kings 6-10, Luke 23:44-24:12

 

Good morning,

Whether it is "caving in" or not taking a stand today against secularism or the kings of Israel allowing the practices of it's people to the foreign gods of their day, the result is the same.  The people first drift, then fall to foreign gods or anti gods with predictable but tragics results and consequences.

 

For today's verse we'lll go to 2 Kings 8 where Solomon gives a prayer.  It was at the height of his reign, the temple had been completed.  He offers this prayer at a time when the beginnings of his drift and the nations had already started.  It is a prayer that should be taken to heart today in our churches and in our nation.

1 Kings 8: 57 May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us or abandon us. 58 May he give us the desire to do his will in everything and to obey all the commands, decrees, and regulations that he gave our ancestors.
NLT

 

The verses we've looked at this week should heighten our awareness of the deceptions of the devil, to be aware of the lies that can take us, take our hearts captive if we are not careful, to watch and pray.  Let us remember our spiritual heritage and hold on to those truths and not be swayed by "secularism" or anything that would lead us away from God and His Truth.

 

I was reminded of another hymn from years ago.  Words that I didn't really consider while I sang them, but bring more meaning now than they did then.  Isn't God's Word like that?  We may have learned the verses as children, but their truth, their power, may not be revealed to us until we are older, when we'll really need them.

 

God Of Our Fathers

 

God of our fathers, Whose almighty hand
Leads forth in beauty all the starry band
Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies
Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.

 

Thy love divine hath led us in the past,
In this free land by Thee our lot is cast,
Be Thou our Ruler, Guardian, Guide and Stay,
Thy Word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.

 

From war's alarms, from deadly pestilence,
Be Thy strong arm our ever sure defense;
Thy true religion in our hearts increase,
Thy bounteous goodness nourish us in peace.

 

Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way,
Lead us from night to never ending day;
Fill all our lives with love and grace divine,
And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.

Ps 34:7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them.

 

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
NKJV

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
More tools available at: http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

1 Kings 8:54-62

 

Solomon Blesses the Assembly
(2 Chron 6:40-42)

 

54 And so it was, when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord, that he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. 55 Then he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying: 56 "Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses. 57 May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, 58 that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers. 59 And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the Lord, be near the Lord our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day may require, 60 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other. 61 Let your heart therefore be loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day."

 

NKJV