November 26, 2015
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Real World, Real God

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Sovereign Lord, on this day dedicated to gratitude, I offer thanks for all Your blessings, including the privilege of living in this nation.

Read 1 KINGS 8:46-61

[46] “When they sin against you-for there is no one who does not sin-and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; [47] and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; [48] and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; [49] then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. [50] And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy; [51] for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace. [52] “May your eyes be open to your servant’s plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. [53] For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, Sovereign LORD, brought our ancestors out of Egypt.” [54] When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the LORD, he rose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. [55] He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying: [56] “Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. [57] May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us. [58] May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. [59] And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, [60] so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other. [61] And may your hearts be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reflect

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

I enjoy watching good impressionists, but I watched a student in a concert years ago whose imitation of a colleague caught his mannerisms exactly, yet came across as cruel and unkind. I decided you can only do such things well if you really like the person you are imitating. Kindness is important–but sometimes we are mistaken if we think that real Christians should only ever say nice things about people, never acknowledging that they may have done something which ought to be challenged. That is not what it says in the Bible. Solomon ends his prayer with the realism with which he began. Israel will go wrong–because we all do. The point is that when they do and when they find themselves suffering the consequences of what they have done, there is a way forward. Of course this involves more ifs. If they acknowledge what they have done, if they “have a change of heart” (47) and are really sorry, and if they “turn back to [God] with all their heart and soul” (48), then he will be only too ready to receive them. Perhaps Jesus had been reflecting on passages like this one before he told the story of the prodigal son.

Solomon’s prayer is quite long, but basically it boils down to a request that God will continue to be who he is. God doesn’t really need to be told who he is and certainly doesn’t need a reminder to be who he is. It is we who need to be reminded, and the best way to do that is to talk about it to each other and also to him. Remember that one of our key purposes is that “all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other” (60).

Apply

Sometimes it is good to remind ourselves of who God is and of how we have failed. Maybe today is a good day to pray verses 56-61 for ourselves.

Closing prayer

Lord, at this Thanksgiving time, may I remember that all I have is Your gift. I thank You, Lord, for Your provisions and blessings.

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