From: July 19, 2024
‘Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished”‘ (1 Chronicles 28:20 ESV).
David gave his son, Solomon, instructions on how to build the Lord’s Temple. Along with the building plans, David gave him three important leadership principles and one promise. This three-part instruction with a promise is found throughout Scripture (See also Joshua 1:9 and Haggai 2:4-5).
THE THREE PRINCIPLES:
1. “Be strong.” This is a matter of your will. Be firm and resolute in determination. When fear comes and it will, be strong and do not fear.
2. “Be courageous.” This is a matter of your passion. Stay alert and be brave. Be stout and do not be dismayed. For the one who is dismayed has lost all hope.
3. “Do it.” This is a matter of your activity. Get busy until you have finished the work the Lord has for you. Long before Nike, David said, “Just do it!”
THE PROMISE
The promise supports the three leadership principles, promising the Lord’s continuous and powerful presence. For we can do nothing without the Lord. Yet with the Lord, we can do all things.
David told Solomon that the Lord would never leave, nor forsake him until he had finished the work assigned to him. This promise was not only for David’s son, Solomon, but for the Son of David, Jesus Christ. Who after completing the work the Father had assigned to Him on the cross, declared, “It is finished!” And so He became the Chief Cornerstone of God’s holy temple and we are being built into His spiritual house like living stones through Him (See Eph. 2:19-22, 1 Pet. 2:4-5).
PRAYER: Dear Father, strengthen us by Your real presence in our lives. Help us to be strong and courageous and to do the work for which You have called us. For You are faithful and all Your promises are true. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: July 19, 2023
“Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives” (Proverbs 19:18 NLT).
There is a short window of time for teaching children obedience. During this time there is hope that parental discipline might eventually become the child’s own self-discipline. It may seem a lot of work to discipline a child of ages 2 through 8, but it becomes nearly hopeless for the parent who waits until they are 12 through 18 before trying to correct their behavior. Discipline a child while they are young and when they are older, they will have learned to respect and obey. Fail to discipline them and this job passes to the teacher, the principle, the police and finally the judge and the jail. Discipline them while there is hope.
And be certain to aim past the outward behavior to the inner attitude of the heart. Teach the child about sin, repentance, and forgiveness through Jesus. For the child is more receptive to spiritual things than the teen and the adult. Do this important parental work while there is hope. And in doing this, always cover your child with prayer. For only God can change the human heart.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank You for the gift of children. Yet we are overwhelmed by the role of parenting. We need Your help. Empower us with Your strength. Give us Your wisdom. Show us the key to our children’s hearts that we might discipline them in the way they should go. And that we might always point them to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: July 19, 2022
GOD’S LOVE REVEALED
Which is better love spoken or love shown? Yet, God has done both through Christ Jesus. For He is the Word, the Logos, the greatest and fullest communication of God’s love to us. He is love written in the flesh. Christ is God’s Word of love spoken to us.
And Christ is God’s great love shown to us. For He proved His love by dying for us while we were yet sinners. He is Love come down from heaven to become one of us, so that He might die for us. He did all of this not because we were deserving of love, but because He “is love” (1 John 4:16).
God’s character of love intersected His character of holiness in Christ at the cross making a way for us to know and love Him and others in return. O the wonder and glory that the chief attribute of God revealed to us through Jesus is love!
PRAYER: Father, thank You for the love You have shown towards us in Jesus. And for the ongoing love You show through Your provision and the giving of Your Holy Spirit. Help us to be conduits of Your love to others in this world as we serve in love and give out the gospel in love. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: July 19, 2017
There is a short window of time for teaching children obedience. During this time there is hope that parental discipline might become the child’s own self-discipline. It may seem a lot of work to discipline a child of ages 2 through 6, but it becomes nearly hopeless for the parent who waits until they are 12 through 16 before starting to correct their behavior. Chasten a child while they are young and when they are older, they will have learned to respect and obey. And be certain to aim past the behavior to the heart. For the child is more tenderhearted than the teen. Teach the child about sin, repentance, and forgiveness through Jesus. For the child is more receptive to spiritual things than the adult. Do this important parental work while there is still hope.
From: July 19, 2016
If the sin of the one man, Adam, was sufficient to bring death to all humanity, then so much more shall the righteousness of Christ bring life. For Christ is in a sense, the second Adam. We are all born into sin by the first Adam, but only those born again by the second have received His gift of grace. The death and suffering that entered the world through Adam are plain to see. And so too, is the grace of God which was revealed in Jesus to those who believe.
From: July 19, 2015
Love demonstrated is greater than love spoken. Yet, God has done both through Christ Jesus. He is the Logos, the greatest and fullest communication of God and God’s love to us. He is love in the flesh. He is love that left heaven to become one of us, so that He might die for us. He did all of this not because we were deserving of love, but because He is love. And His character of love intersected His character of holiness in Christ at the cross making a way for us to know and love Him in return (1 John 4:19).