PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN ( 1 Kings 12:13-14 ): This morning, I am convicted by the choice of Rehoboam, son of Solomon and now king. He sought out the wisdom of the elders who had served his Father, Solomon. The wisdom they gave him was wise and would have likely put him in a position of great power. Instead, he chose to reject their advice and go the route of the harsh response his friend told him to give. I have often done the same in my own life towards You, Father. I have felt the Spirit tell me to do one response, but rejected it and gone the route of a worldly/fleshly response. Just like with Rehoboam’s situation, the results were not pretty by far. Please forgive me for this lack of discernment, Father. Forgive me for not being obedient to Your advice for me in those moments that I really should be heeding Your advice more than ever. Help me to be better.
PROMISE ( 1 Kings 12:15 ): Just as You promised Solomon, his son took over as king but would not have anywhere near the success of his predecessors. You orchestrated all the events of the promise to ensure its fulfillment. Rehoboam is losing the kingdom and just as this verse states: “this turn of events came from the Lord.” Another promise fulfilled as You are always faithful to Your promises.
ATTITUDE ( 1 Kings 12:13-14 ): My attitude adjustment today brings me back to these verses from my sin confession. I need to be better at embracing at attitude of humility and spiritual discernment when heeding advice from others. I need to be better at listening to sound and spiritual advice. Help me be better at embracing spiritual discernment in my choices, Father. Help me to be better at knowing what advice is coming from You so that I may accept that advice no matter if it goes against my “instincts” in my flesh or against the world’s advice, Father.
COMMAND ( 1 Kings 12:24 ): Although this verse was specific to Rehoboam and his yearning to bring a massive war against Your people, I see this also as a command being spoken to me. I hear You stating to not fight against my brothers and that I must listen to You in this. I often get emotional and heated when someone, even my own brother in faith, speaks something against what I feel or know to be true. I often get angry with them and eventually end up either quarrelling with them or just leaving their presence altogether. This is not what You are commanding me to do, necessarily. You are telling me not to quarrel with my brothers, but also that I must return home. I see this as You telling me to be better at walking away instead of quarrelling with my spiritual brothers. Be better at acknowledging that I will not always agree with my spiritual brothers, but it doesn’t mean I have to take time out of my day to fight with them. Help me remember and live this, Father.
EXAMPLE ( 1 Kings 12:4 ): Jeroboam and his tribe approached Rehoboam, who replaced his Father as king. They approached him with the intent to serve him honorably if the new king would simply meet a single request—do not be as harsh on them as his father was. That sounds both like a simple and very reasonable request to make of the son of who was once your enemy and performed great atrocities against your people. This request and their reaction to the response the king gave reminds me that I can only make requests to others and I must be okay with whatever their response is. Even if their response is as harsh as the king’s was in this example, I must still be okay with that and what is to follow as a result of that response. If I am to make a request of others, I have to go into that conversation with the mindset that it could go in many different directions; I have to be okay with all of them because I can only make request. I’m in control of me and nobody else in this world. Thank You, Father, for stressing and harping on this point in my heart.
*DAILY NOTE: This was a powerful chapter for me. Not because of anything new, but because of the reminders You’ve given me today on things I’ve been slacking a bit on. Thank You so much for this conversation this morning, Father. Thank You for the convictions, for the understanding, and for the reminders of things I need to get back to, but also the things I need to continue working on.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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