Praise God for All He Is

"And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it. ⁷ On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, "Ask! What shall I give you?"

2 Chronicles 1:6-7

I find it interesting how the KJV renders God's words in the form of a command:  "Ask what I shall give thee."  God is generous and giving, and made His intent clear to King Solomon.  God was going to give Solomon something, and directed him to ask for it.  Now I must say many times in my life I considered what I would say if such a demand was placed on me.  I can also say my answers have been impacted by the way God answered Solomon's request for wisdom.  God was pleased Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge to rule God's people well when he could have asked for riches, wealth, honour, the lives of his enemies or long life for himself.  One might imagine because Solomon "gave the right answer," God chose to give him wisdom, knowledge and everything else thrown in too.

If we frame our response to God's invitation based upon what God gave Solomon as a formula to gain riches, wealth and long life for ourselves, we are blind of God's grace.  We may attempt to answer God's demand in a humble way not to appear greedy--because we naturally are greedy and want very much what we have not asked for.  Who is there among men who is not pleased with something for nothing?  We would rather not have to ask!  Asking is the rule of God's kingdom, yet He remains generous and gracious to give us far beyond what we ever asked for or dreamed.  To view Solomon's response as a guide to obtain our desire (if I do enough to please God or give the "right" answer to a question I will get what I really value) we are not valuing Who God is or what God has already promised and given to us through Jesus Christ.  God does not give blank checks for us to fill out, for that would limit the infinite stores of mercy, grace and love He could extend to us.

Consider for a moment how God has given the humble child of God by faith in Jesus more than Solomon received from God.  Sure, we might not bring in hundreds of talents of gold in taxes into our treasury per annum, but all we have received from God is beyond price or reckoning.  Jesus has become for us wisdom, and the Holy Spirit who indwells us guides us into all truth.  Those who humble themselves God is pleased to adopt as His beloved children and invite into His glorious presence to a place prepared for us.  Jesus has destroyed the Law which condemned us, cleansed us of sin that cursed and damned us, and He crushed the head of Satan under His feet.  Long life for Solomon is estimated to be about 80 years, and how does that compare with eternal life in heaven with God?  All the sacrifices Solomon offered were unable to cleanse his soul fully and perpetually, yet in Jesus Christ our souls have been born again, purified and redeemed forever by His sacrifice.

Hebrews 4:14-16 reads, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  The Christian walk is not about us receiving what we want--or even what we need--but how we have by faith in Jesus Christ all we need for wisdom, life and godliness forever!  Praise the LORD for all He has given us according to His promises by His grace.  The incident with Solomon shows God's grace to give His beloved people far beyond what we ever asked for, and this should fill us with praise and thanksgiving to our God who loves to bless us with the true riches of His kingdom:  Himself.

God Is Exalted

This morning I rose while it was chilly and dark for exercise.  Frost glittered on cars as a thin sliver of the moon shone bright suspended in a clear sky.  I was treated to a majestic view of faint stars as the moon brightly reflected the light of the sun.  I find it fascinating how the rays of the sun are seemingly lost in space until they hit upon the lunar surface in a brilliant display of God's wisdom.  It struck me how a person could look at the moon and praise nature, another could take pride in science which can provide explanations of planetary motion and moon exploration, while others simply worship and admire God who created and upholds such wondrous things.

Seeing the moon suspended in the heavens prompted me to consider how humans are easily moved to worship things which are not God.  Probably the most common object of worship is self.  I remember an insightful interview by Ray Comfort with a professing Satanist who mused, "When we say 'Hail Satan,' to a certain extent I am saying 'Hail Me.'"  King Nebuchadnezzar did a similar thing when he looked upon the kingdom of Babylon and the glory of it, though it was God who chose Nebuchadnezzar and made him to prosper.  God warned Nebuchadnezzar through a dream interpreted by Daniel, yet he did not humble himself before God:  in light of his wealth and power he did not say "Praise God!" but "Hail me!"

Daniel 4:29-32 states, "At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. ³⁰ The king spoke, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?" ³¹ While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven: "King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! ³² And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses."  For seven years the understanding and sanity of Nebuchadnezzar departed from him and he lived like a beast outdoors, his hair growing into dreadlocks and his untrimmed nails curved like bird claws.

At the end of the appointed time, God caused the understanding of Nebuchadnezzar to return and restored his kingdom and majesty to him.  Nebuchadnezzar was not embittered towards God for ruining his life or wasting years of his time:  the effect on the king of Babylon was strikingly different.  When Nebuchadnezzar returned to the throne, no longer did he worship the works of his hands or himself.  He said in Daniel 4:37, "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down."  Like the moon in the night sky, so the life of Nebuchadnezzar speaks forth the praise and worship of God the King of heaven whose works are truth and ways justice.  Blessed is the one who humbles themselves before God, and even the ones God puts down for their folly can look to Him by His grace with thanksgiving.

Loved and Liked

Have you ever heard the distinction between liking and loving someone else?  For a young man looking for love it was disheartening to be "friendzoned" by a woman they are taken with, to be viewed at most a friend when the heart of the love-struck fellow is set on much more.  I have also heard this distinction made among family members:  "I love my family member, but I do not like him or her at all."  It is possible to love someone with whom we are not currently pleased and thus do not "like" due to circumstances.  The seeming contradiction between loving someone we do not like is resolved when we realise our natural love is not God's love at all.

I was struck by how amazing God's grace and love is towards us today by a statement David made in 1 Chronicles 28:2-5:  "Then King David rose to his feet and said, "Hear me, my brethren and my people: I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made preparations to build it. ³ But God said to me, 'You shall not build a house for My name, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood.' ⁴ However the LORD God of Israel chose me above all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever, for He has chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father, He was pleased with me to make me king over all Israel. ⁵ And of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons) He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel."

A man after God's own heart, David remained humble even as ruler over Israel.  By grace God chose Judah out of the 12 tribes to be one that ruled, the house of Jesse was also chosen by God and David, though the youngest son, was chosen to be king.  David had not desired to be king, yet God delighted to bring him from the sheepfold to the throne.  David did desire to build God a temple, and God instead chose David's son Solomon to sit on the throne after him and build the temple.  Verse 4 says God "was pleased with me to make me king over all Israel."  The KJV puts it, "among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king..."  Isn't it great to hear God chose David by grace because He liked him?  God made David king out of all Israel because it pleased Him.  God loved and liked David, and this was displayed in graciously promoting him and also preventing him from doing what David really wanted to do.

When human beings "like" someone else, in their eyes the one they like can do no (or little!) wrong.  Though God was pleased to make David king, it did not give him a free pass to sin without consequences.  Also it did not mean God's love or liking was restricted to David alone, for His choosing of David and finding pleasure in him was all of grace.  The God who does not and cannot change has seen fit to create all human beings with a unique, distinct soul and personality.  I am told no two different snowflakes or fingerprints are identical, and consider the creative genius of God to make everyone and their talents, perspectives, likes and loves different from one another!  The elders said before the LORD in Revelation 4:11:  "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."  God created all things--including every person--because it pleased Him to do so.

Do you realise God knit you in the womb of your mother because it pleased Him?  David was convinced he was chosen of God for his role because God liked him, and blessed is the man who has received the love of God by faith, knowing He also favours us.  God showed grace to David by choosing him to be king, and He showed grace by giving the task of building the temple to Solomon.  It pleased God to not have David build the temple, but he was not loved any less.  For God so loved the world He sent His only begotten Son Jesus that whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life, and those who receive His love by faith begin to realise God likes us too, undeserving though we remain of such grace.

By Grace Unshakable

For a reason probably only known for certain by the author Ian Fleming, the common cocktail of choice by James Bond included an odd request for preparation, that the martini serviced him be "Shaken, not stirred."  Apparently his palate was refined to notice a difference, and he cared enough over the distinction to include detailed instructions in his order instead of leaving it to a professional barkeep.  Whether a drink is shaken or stirred, the reason the drink is mixed is the same:  it is for drinking.

Like a drink, it is possible for people to be shaken and disturbed by what they have seen; people can be stirred by troubling circumstances.  In the end it doesn't matter if we feel shaken or stirred but how we respond to the situation and our feelings.  I used to live in southern California, a part of the world often shaken by small earthquakes.  It was not uncommon for me to hear earthquakes ratting the windows at night and once I heard the house snap like a whip.  Because earthquakes were common and we were as prepared as we could possibly be in case of an emergency, when the house shook I was not shaken in mind.  I am sure if the house had collapsed due to the force of a quake, it would have been a different story.

I was reminded of a passage of scripture where the children of Israel were shaken by an encounter with the living God when He revealed Himself in fire, lightning, thunder and an earthquake on Mt. Sinai.  The people were overwhelmed by the presence of God and shook them to the core.  Needless to say they shook more than a leaf in a hurricane and were far more impacted than rocks dislodged by God's power.  The writer of Hebrews drew the attention of Christians to the quaking Hebrews long ago and how we as believers are being given an unshakable kingdom by faith in Jesus in Hebrews 12:18-29:

"For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, ¹⁹ and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. ²⁰ (For they could not endure what was commanded: "And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow." ²¹ And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.") ²² But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, ²³ to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, ²⁴ to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. ²⁵ See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, ²⁶ whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." ²⁷ Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. ²⁹ For our God is a consuming fire." (NKJV)

The LORD who shook the earth when He appeared to the Hebrews on Sinai has promised to surely shake the earth and also heaven.  The earth will shaken by God like a tree is shaken by those who harvest olives to gather them.  Everything that shakes will be removed and will not endure, but all people who are founded on Jesus Christ by faith in Him will not be moved.  We can remain steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the LORD knowing we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, for it will endure forever.  This result of this knowledge and steadfastness ought to result in us having grace, "by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear."  Apart from Christ we are like chaff which the wind stirs up drives away.  It is by the grace of God we can stand, by His grace we will receive an unshakable kingdom, and by grace we can serve God acceptably.  Instead of being shaken when the earth and heavens are shaken, by the grace of God we stand, serve and endure.