1 Kings 17-19: I have been a believer 50 years! How can that be? I came to know Jesus as my Savior at a very early age. I have had some days where my faith was stronger than others. Even as I am teaching Bible School this week, the truths I am teaching the children are the same truths I learned as a child. I am never alone, Jesus holds me close. I don’t have to worry, Jesus is with me. When I struggle Jesus is there for me.
Today as I read the story of Elijah who was one of the Bible Superstars I was struck by how he needed the same reassurances I am teaching the children this week. When he was hungry due to the drought, God provided food from a Raven and a widow who had very little and yet she shared with him. God never allowed her to run out of food. What a great reminder to me! When Elijah was called up to stand before Ahab and face off with the prophets of Baal he was strengthened by the Lord! He was bold by God’s strength and saw God do the miraculous. Then he had emotionally weak times where he felt all alone and needed the comfort of God’s presence in his life. I love it that God told him to eat and sleep. Some of us just need a good meal and a holy nap to find new strength in the Lord. Then Elijah spent time praying and the end result was Elijah heard God speak.
Are you in a spiritual slump right now? Why not go back to what you learned in Bible School. God loves you and whether you are lonely, weary, worried, or struggling, He is there for you. As our theme reminds us this week. Jesus Rescues!
Spend time with Him today. Instead of eating a meal, take that time to pray and seek God’s will. Cry out to Him, Elijah did and he was a spiritual giant. If we looked behind the curtain of most spiritual giants lives I believe we would find them on their knees and crying out to the One who is their strength.

1 Kings7-8, Psalms 11: Do you remember a Christmas morning when you had worked so hard and gotten just the right gifts for people? You probably went to be Christmas Eve thinking, “I hope they like it!” You know you have done all you knew to do. The next morning you woke up to squeals and laughter as the people you loved opened their gift. Your heart swelled as they got on that bike and would not get off or put on that warm fuzzy robe and wore it all day. To see them inhabit and enjoy those gifts filled you with joy.
Can you imagine Solomon and the workers as God’s presence filled the temple.
1 Kings 8:10 “And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, 11so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.”
Our thoughts of Christmas morning are nothing compared with what it must have been like that day. When the very presence of God filled that Temple and the priests, the most holy men could not even stay within. Can’t you just see the smile and satisfaction on Solomon’s face.
Then Solomon responded by telling the people “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart; ”
Solomon did not just build a building. He built a place for God to dwell. His very presence filled it! We don’t have to build God a building. His presence no longer dwells within walls, but He has chosen to dwell within the hearts of people who will do as Solomon said, walk before God with all of their hearts. God’s covenant with us is that His Son Jesus would save us from their sin and guide us daily by the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. We, like the Temple are filled with God by His Spirit! That is hard to comprehend at times, but it is true. God’s love for us is beyond compare and His desire to have a relationship with us bogles the mind. May we never take that for granted. May we celebrate God’s filling us with His Spirit!

1 Kings 5-6, 2 Chronicles 2-3: I love my grandchildren!!!!!! They were so worth the wait! I love getting to pour into them and playing with them. I love reading with them and talking to them as we make meals or just hang out. They are very young right now, but even in these early days I know it is so important to invest in them. The things I pour in now will be what fuels them for many years to come.
Solomon must have really respected his great great grandparent. Did you see what he named the pillar for the temple?
2 Chronicles 3:17He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the south, the other on the north; that on the south he called Jachin, and that on the north Boaz.
His great great grandfather was the Boaz who married Ruth the Moabite. He was the kinsman redeemer who saved Naomi’s family line from extinction. I wonder what stories Solomon had been told about him? Did Jesse Solomon’s grandfather take the time to tell him how Boaz made a huge difference in not only Ruth’s family, but in the generations that followed?
Though we can’t be sure why, Solomon named the column that supported the front entrance to the temple Boaz. Even today it is a reminder that God sent not just Boaz, but God sent Jesus as well to be our Kinsman Redeemer to bring us into the family when sin and death separated us. What a great reminder that our hope and salvation rest upon His shoulders.
This summer you may have time to hang out with your own children and grandchildren. Take every opportunity to speak truth to them and tell them about Jesus. Teach them about their own grandparents and their faith. You never know how God may use that to impact future generations with the love of Christ!

Proverbs 21-24: Last week I saw a report that said that the leader of North Korea was willing to allow Christianity into the country as a part of the deal being worked on with the United States. I do not know the validity of that report or if the leader would even allow it to happen even if the deal does go through, but it led me to pray this verse over the situation.
Proverbs 21:1 “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.”
I am not being political in this post, just being thankful that God uses leaders to do His will. I pray that the wall will be broken down and that the Light of the Gospel will be shown into this country that has been dark for so long. I pray for the political leaders as they meet and talk that good would come from their meetings. I pray that this will serve to bring revival across our globe. I pray that Americans who have had such freedom to hear and share the gospel message will live it here in our own country and that we as a people will confess our sin and get back on track.
Proverbs 21:2 says “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.”
May the Lord remind us of our own shortcomings. May we as the people of God stop turning on each other and see that there are lost people all around us, not just in the “dark” places in our world. May our hearts be struck with love for those who are different from us right here. May the Father turn our hearts as well as the hearts of kings to be obedient to His will. May the gospel go forth!

Proverbs 17-20: Do you have a good friend? What is your favorite things about your friend? I am so grateful for my friend Cindy Sampson. She has been my friend for 18 years. Our friendship started at a women’s ministry event at Westwood Baptist Church where Les was pastoring. She asked me to be a part of an accountability group. We started reading the Bible through each year 17 years ago and now share that with many of you. As you read these devotions each day it is because she initiated our reading and sharing what God was saying to us.
Cindy and I neither one are perfect. We have both held each other to accountability in our lives. When we are less than godly, the other is there to speak truth. When we need encouragement, the other is there to build up. People have often asked if we are sisters. No, she is not my blood sister, but my momma says she chose Cindy. She mom’s Chosen Child, and indeed she is.
When I read Proverbs 17 :17 Cindy’s face comes to my mind.
“A friend loves at all times.” Boy that has been true for me. She prays for me in hard times. She rejoices with me in happy ones.
If you don’t have a friend like this, start by being a friend like this to someone. It is funny how when you reach out you may really be surprised to responds back with that same kind of love. I am sure Cindy was anxious reaching out to me at first. She had no idea how close we would eventually become, but if she had not reached out, I may never have stopped long enough to truly get to know her. Who is the Father putting on your heart to reach out to? Don’t be afraid. Contact her today. Do something fun, have a coke and talk, fold clothes together. lol. that is how we started. I had 4 children and no time to get out to play, so she helped me do my work so we could play. Cook together, eat together. There is no specific plan. Just spend time getting to know each other.

Proverbs 13-16: I am in the process of writing a webinar on speaking entitled What’s That You Say? I am hoping to have it out in August, but as a part of that course I have been doing some research. In the information I have gathered statistics say you only receive 7% from the content of what is actually said. The other 93% of what you take in is what you see and what you hear. So just like your momma told you, it isn’t what you said, it is How you said it. You body communicates (including that eye roll) Your tone bespeaks your less than honest I’m sorry.
I think that is some of what Solomon was getting at when he wrote.
15:1 “A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
It is how you say something that will fuel the fire or move it toward a more controlled conversation. This true in family situations, business dealings, or even with relationships heading in the wrong direction.
Solomon also wrote:
15:4 “A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. ”
Gentle words promote unity or at least a lack of hostility, but perverseness is to be contrary. Perverse conversation is one that goes against you no matter what you are saying. They just want to be contrary. You may even know this kind of person who when you say the sky is blue they say not its not, it is gray. If you say grass is green they say not always. Sometimes it is brown. You may find it challenging to be around them because they suck the life out of you. Don’t be that person! Be a life giver. Use your words to give life and build others up.
One last verse
15:15 “All the days of the afflicted are evil,
but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.”
You speak from what is in your heart. If we are cheerful and having a feast of thankfulness to God, your words will draw people to the Father. That should be our goal no matter whether we are speaking to our children, the person in line at the grocery store, or speaking to a Sunday school class or bible study group, when our hearts are centered on the Father and knowing Him, our words will be life giving and filled with hope. May you have a life giving day today as you train your tongue to speak life!

Proverbs 5-8: It is as though Solomon was writing for our time and culture. He warns the men to chase wisdom not the folly of fleshly desires. Solomon gives an entire chapter to the foolishness of chasing the adulterous woman. He reminds the reader that her speech may be alluring, but it comes with a venomous bite and the short time of pleasure is not worth the lifetime of shame. What a great reminder in our day as well.
The enemy tries to make sex and extramarital affairs seem so alluring and good. You see it all over our “entertainment”. The hunt for love when what you have is not enough. Oh how I wish they presented the reality of broken relationships, abandoned children, financial destruction and so many other real life consequences of seeking someone other than the one you have made a commitment to for a lifetime.
It is so hard to tell someone who is in a fog of folly that their decisions may seem to make you “happy” at the minute but will cause a lifetime of chaos. Solomon puts it like this:
6:32 He who commits adultery lacks sense;
he who does it destroys himself.
33 He will get wounds and dishonor,
and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
I am praying today for those of you who have been hurt by the choices of others. I pray that God will heal your broken heart and take care of your needs. I also pray for those who left their commitment to you and to God. I pray they will confess their sin and be made right with God. I pray they will leave their folly and become people after His heart again. I pray for your children that even in the midst of the chaos they will know the strong love of their Heavenly Father and their parents.

Song of Solomon 1-5:1 : Do you remember your first love? If you were in elementary school or high school you might have written love notes to exchange between classes. Did you tell them how cute they were or how much you missed seeing them or talking to them? Did you plan times to get together even if you were too young to “date”?
As we read Song of Solomon we get to peak into a love relationship with a woman and her love. The difference is her love was the young king. I wonder in someways if the wedding we saw last weekend might not be something like the book we are reading. The unlikely Princess marrying the royal. The young woman in the Song of Solomon was love struck and her man was taken with her.
In Song of Solomon 2 the writer writes:
15 Catch the foxes for us,
the little foxes
that spoil the vineyards,
for our vineyards are in blossom.”
So what are these little foxes that spoil the vineyard? These are the small things that can come in and ruin your garden of love. They may not be big things at first, but over time they steal the joy of your marriage. They can wreak havoc on a marriage. It can be anything from Pornography and big things to small things like a selfish attitude and heart. Selfishness and unforgiveness over time eats away at the heart of a marriage. Guard your heart and your marriage from the little foxes that spoil your marriage.
Instead serve one another, consider how you might outdo one another in showing love. This is like miracle grow to a marriage and as you selflessly serve one another your marriage will grow from a childlike love to a depth that never separates you.

Psalm 119:89-176: Have you ever been going through something and just thought, “This is killing me.” Your heart may have been so broken you did not know where to turn?
Psalm 119 speaks the heart of one who has gone through a heart rending time as well and listen to what he said.
92 If your law had not been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have given me life.
Wonder how God gave him life through HIs Word? Could it be there God’s word reminded him that the Sovereign Creator was still in charge and no matter how hard things on the outside were that he could have peace within knowing God’s hand was on him? Could it have been that through God’s word he read of other men and women who were faced with their own giants and saw how God had brought them through? Could it be that the wisdom contained in God’s word had given him insight into his own struggles and challenges. It could be any of these things, all of these things, or even other truths found in His word.
I don’t know what you are facing today, but the word of God you too can allow God to put it into the proper perspective. Nothing is outside of God’s ability to handle it
His ways are not our ways, but they are for our best and His glory
Because He created all things, He has authority over all things
He truly loves you and wants what is best for you.
Now you too can face your challenges and struggles with life from His word. God find more truth in His word and live in its bounty!

1 Kings 1-2; Psalms 37; 71; 94: Do you ever pray God’s word back to Him? I find myself often reminding God of His promises. It is really more for me than for Him. lol. I know He never forgets, and God does not lie. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. These are some verses I pray:
Psalm 37:4″ Delight yourself in the Lord,
and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
Father You say that if I delight myself in You and keep You as the focus of my heart, mind and soul that You will make Your desires my desires. Then I really can have the desires of my heart because they are Your desires as well. Show me Your way and Your will so that I can do them.
37:5 “Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.”
Father You say commit my way to You and trust You and You will act. Lord, I am trusting You but there are just sometimes that I see no way out. Teach me to faith You even when darkness surrounds. I know You will act, help me to hold on until You do.
Psalm 37:23 “The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
when he delights in His way; 24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.”
Oh Father, hold my hand and help me to not be cast head over heals. Help me know your support even when the way is rough and my feet are unsteady. Help me take refuge in You.
Psalm 37:25 “I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.”
Father, sometimes it is just hard to see how you will make ends meet. I can lie awake at night concocting my plans and trying to figure it out, but the truth is Father, without You there is no way to make ends meet. So in my frailty and failure, help me to have confidence in You. YOU SAY You will provide and so I call on You asking for You to do just that.
Friend, maybe you too need to call out to the Father in prayer through His Word. He is strong enough to handle it. He is the Creator, Sustainer, Provider, Defender, the GREAT I AM. Whatever your need today He is enough.