They managed their kingdoms well.
But, did they manage their souls?
So what's the point here for me, pray tell.
What stirs in my own soul---don't let things grow cold.
I remember reading "Effective Management trumps Holy Living" in 66 LL. Jeroboam successfully divided the kingdom. Rehoboam successfully followed in his father Solomon's sinful steps. They may have had outward success but inwardly they were a mess. They even forgot about David---I Kings 12:16 and who he had become. We can lose our lives for Christ's sake or for our own. There's a battle going on in each of our souls. What stirs within? David overcame his guilt, his sin, his shame. Solomon never did...nor did his son. He must increase and we must decrease. God is working through our circumstances, way down deep in our center, to make us holy. Don't try to change the circumstances unless you try to find God in the midst. He is committed to our holiness and making us into the people He intends for us to be.
PRAYER FROM PSALMS
Father, the last two verses in Psalm 119:175-176 come to mind: Preserve our lives according to your Word. May your Word sustain me this day. We have all strayed, including David. Seek us, O God, for we have not forgotten Your Commands. We long for You. Oh, that you may be first in our lives. Oh, all that is Precious, may we find You this day.
OVERVIEW: I Kings 12-14
"Outward successes but their inner lives are a mess." Those words hit home with me today. Yesterday, I was having lunch with a friend and tears rose up within me over something I thought I'd taken care of. I obviously hadn't. I knew I had a hardened heart about this and had prayed for God to soften it the day before. Which brings me to a question...
ReplyDeleteI made a comment to my friend that unforgiveness is what makes a hardened heart. But now I'm not sure. What do you Pearls think about this? Is unforgiveness always at the root of hardened hearts?
Dear Annette, what you asked is a hard guestion, and I am not sure my answer is the direction you intended, but I will share from my life, you are an amazing woman, always seeking God's direction and I know you will find it. I love your heart.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, a trumatic upheaval happened 3 years ago in my relationship with my daughter and son-in-law. I was devastated and it has been a long, difficult journey with God to repair my broken heart.
The relationship is not as I would like, but I have changed and one thing God revealed to me recently is the need to bless my children.
I will share portions of the letter I wrote to my daughter and son-in-law.
Dear------
How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's forundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long,long ago, he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this). He wanted us to enter intoo the celebration of his lavish gifts by the hand of his beloved Son. Ephesians 1:3-6--The Message.
God has been working in our hearts, all of our hearts. It has been a long and difficult journey. I have so many things in my life I wish I could change. I cannot change the past; I can pray for forgiveness and try to make amends.......
I would like to begin a new relationship with you...I would like to give you and your family my blessing. I forgive you for past hurts, and ask that you would forgive me.
I truly believe God is at work in all our lives. He wants to bless us and our relationships, so that we can have a better relationship with him.
Love always,
Mom
You have a beautiful heart, Jan. love what you wrote. I pray for God to heal and soften your daughters heart to start again new. As you know All Things are possible with God.
DeleteThanks for your thoughts on the JOURNEY of softening hearts. It isn't always instantaneous.
Jan, Thank you for sharing a piece of your heart. I appreciate your humility and honest. There's not a mom out there who wouldn't change something if we had it to do again. However, we don't. All we can live in is this present moment. And what you are doing with this present moment is just beautiful!
DeleteI am learning to have a servant's heart, and being a strong-willed woman, it is not an easy or pleasant process. Although pain leaves scars, the lessons learned are not forgotten. Through it all, I'm learning to love like Jesus.
ReplyDeleteI am more shaken reading the Bible this year by David, a man after God's heart, by his sinfulness in what he did to Bathsheba and her husband---he had him killed. We ostracize people who do that today. No mercy. I love that quote I put up the other day about how true religion allows for the greatness and wretchedness of a man. I do not believe that we think we are as wretched as David the murderer---but we are. I think, Annette, that unforgiveness does harden the heart along with a bunch of other sins. What's beneath the unforgiveness? That's what hardens our hearts. We are all curved in on ourselves, as Augustine once said.
ReplyDeleteI think the world of each one of you!
Annette, I believe unforgiveness is the cause of many problems of the heart from our spirits, to our souls, to our emotions and physical health. The Lord revealed to me I had not forgiven something done by a life long friend...2 years ago. He clearly impressed me heart, I do not have to continue to friendship, but I must forgive, I must pray for her, and I must love her w/ the love of Jesus.
ReplyDelete