People in the Bible Who Pleased God – Jesus

    Three times in the Bible – once through a prophet, and twice directly - God proclaimed that Jesus was His beloved, in whom He was well-pleased.   

“Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!* I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel or cry out, not will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He send forth justice to victory; and in His name Gentiles will trust.” (Matthew 12:18-21 NKJV)

*The original text recorded in Isaiah says: “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights!” (Isaiah 42:1). When God is well pleased with someone, His soul delights in them!

    Eight hundred years before Jesus was born, God proclaimed, through His prophet, Isaiah, that His soul was well pleased with Jesus. Jesus was God’s chosen Servant who would confirm the promises He made to Abram, Isaac, and Jacob, and bring hope to the Gentiles (Romans 15:8-12, 2 Corinthians 4:6). Jesus was willing, and waited for the time when His Father would prepare a body for Him, because He delighted to do His Father’s will (Psalm 40:6-8, Hebrews 10:5-7).

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

    Just before Jesus began His ministry (around the age of 30, Luke 3:23), He went to John at the Jordan River to be baptized “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). When we piece together the three gospel accounts of Jesus’ baptism, we find that Jesus prayed after He came up out of the water* and it was then that the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Him like a dove, and suddenly a voice came from heaven which said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22)

    When John (the baptizer) saw the descent of the Holy Spirit and heard the declaration of God, it confirmed what God had told him of the coming Messiah; he knew that this was the Son of God (John 1:29-34). So, in the following days, John pointed his disciples to Jesus – the Lamb of God he had prepared the way for – and they heard Jesus speak and began to follow Him (John 1:35-37).

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

    Six days after Jesus told His apostles that He would have to suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, that He would be killed and be raised the third day (Matthew 16:21), He took three of them (Peter, James, and John) up on a high mountain by themselves. Jesus transfigured before them: His face shone (shined) like the sun, and His clothes became as white as light (Matthew 17:1-2). I like Mark’s description of this instance: “His clothes became exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.” (Mark 9:3). It was then that Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with Jesus (Matthew 17:3, Mark 9:4).

    Peter who was greatly afraid and did not know what to say, suggested what he thought to be a suitable idea: Let’s make three tabernacles, one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for Jesus – after all, these people represented the Law, the prophets, and the promised Messiah; the very Son of God – but while Peter spoke a bright cloud overshadowed them and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” When Peter, James, and John looked up again, they saw no one but Jesus.

    At age 12, Jesus said, “…I must be about My Father’s business.” (Luke 2:46-49). He increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men (Luke 2:52). As we saw earlier, Jesus began His ministry by determining to fulfill all righteousness in being baptized, and He spent His days exemplifying God to the people and telling them of God, His Father and how they can become citizens of His eternal kingdom (Matthew 7:21-27).  Jesus did not come to do His own will, but His Father’s only (John 6:38, 5:30) – His very food was to do the will of the Father (John 4:34) – and even as the horrific crucifixion loomed on the horizon, Jesus steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51-53), and when the time came, Jesus finished His prayers to His Father with this humble statement, “…not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42) All He did throughout His life, death, and resurrection was all that His Father had given Him to do (John 17: 4, 19:30).

“Jesus said to them, “When You lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things which please Him.” (John 8:28-29 NKJV)

What can we learn from Jesus?

    We can follow Jesus' example. We are commanded to walk just as He walked (1 John 2:3-6), and He left us an example that we should follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:18-24). We, too, can and must, deny self, take up our cross daily and follow Him (Matthew 16:24, Luke 9:23) Take time to read and consider Matthew 10:38-39, Romans 12:1, and 2 Corinthians 5:15.

    We can determine to know and to do God’s will. God’s will is unchanging; what is written is what we can know and it is what we should be doing. The LORD teaches the humble His way (Psalm 25:9, 12-14), and all Scripture was written for our learning (Roman 15:4, 2 Timothy 3:16-17). We need to read and study so we can grow (1 Timothy 4:12-16, 2 Peter 3:18). When we walk in the light we can find out what is acceptable to the Lord (Ephesians 5:8-10, John 3:19-21), and when we walk in wisdom (that is from above, James 3:13-18), we can understand what the will of the Lord is. Just knowing is not enough, we must do God’s will (James 1:21-25); it is in the doing that His will is proven to be good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2). Read and think on Colossians 1:9-14.

    We can do the things that please God. When we humbly follow Jesus’s example, have a heart determined to do God’s will, and a mind focused on giving God the glory, we will please God. Read through the gospels and renew your mind in how Jesus lived before God the Father, how all He did and said pointed people to the Father. We can do that too! Let’s determine to know Jesus, so we can learn to faithfully keep God’s commandments and allow the love of God to be perfected in us (1 John 2:3-6).

    Jesus was the Son of God. His Father was well pleased with Him and told us to hear Him. Jesus said that we must do the will of Father (Matthew 7:21). Let’s prove our love for the Father by doing what He commands, just as Jesus did (John 14:31), so we too can be pleasing to God!

You can do it! So can I!!

People in the Bible Who Pleased God – Zacharias & Elizabeth

    Opening our Bibles to the first chapter of Luke, we are introduced to a beautiful older couple from the tribe of Levi. The husband, Zacharias, served in the temple, and he and his wife, Elizabeth, “were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” (Luke 1:5-6)

    The angel, Gabriel, appeared to Zacharias while he was burning the incense in the temple. When Zacharias saw him he became afraid, but Gabriel said, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, your prayer has been heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” (Luke 1:8-13)

    We are told in verse 7 of this chapter that Zacharias & Elizabeth had no child because Elizabeth was barren. I think it is safe to deduce that Zacharias’ prayer was, for a long time, to have a child – he may have even asked specifically for a son – to carry on in service to the Lord. Now, they are both well advanced in years and Zacharias’ prayer has been heard and God is granting his petition: a son, whose name will be John.

    Gabriel tells Zacharias of John’s birth and life: you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth (v14), he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and drink neither wine nor strong drink (v15), he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb (v15), he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God (v16) He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah to make ready a people prepared for the Lord (v17).

    Zacharias simply could not believe these glad tidings – How can I know that this will happen? – so, because he did not believe, he was made mute and would not be able to speak until the day these things would be fulfilled.

    We now get our first glimpse at the heart of Elizabeth. After Zacharias completed his time of service at the temple, he returned home and after those days, Elizabeth conceived and she hid herself five months saying, “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach* among people” (Luke 1:25). Elizabeth praised God for being gracious to her and blessing her with a child.

*reproach means shame, disgrace. Read and consider how Rachel felt, and how Hannah felt, when they were barren, and their responses when they were blessed with a child (Genesis 30:30:1-2; 22-23, 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11).

    When Elizabeth was six months along, Mary (who was now pregnant with Jesus), came to visit her. When Mary entered the house and greeted Elizabeth, her baby leaped in her womb and she was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to Mary in a loud voice: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” (Luke 1:42-45)

    Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months before returning to her house (Luke 1:56), and it soon came time for Elizabeth to give birth, and a son was born. When their neighbours heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.

    When it was time for the baby to be named and circumcised, they expected him to be named Zacharias after his father, but Elizabeth said, “No, he shall be called John” (Luke 1:59-61). When they made signs to Zacharias, he wrote on a tablet, “His name is John,” and they all marveled. At this moment, Zacharias’ tongue was loosed and what was the very first things he did? He praised God!

    Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and he praised God for His mercy in remembering His holy covenant with Abraham and redeeming His people, and then he prophesied about his infant son: “And you, O child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins. Through the tender mercies of our God, with which the Dayspring* from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace.”  *Dayspring literally means Dawn, representing the Messiah

What can we learn from Zacharias & Elizabeth?

    We should pray and continue in faithful service. Zacharias & Elizabeth did not become bitter that they did not have a child; they did not turn from God nor blame Him because Elizabeth was barren. They made their requests known to God and continued in faithful service to Him. Their prayers for a child may have begun within the first years of their marriage, but it wasn’t until they were old that it was granted. Don’t give up on prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Don’t give up on God (1 Corinthians 15:58). Don’t grow bitter, grow better – not so you will earn your request, but so you will be properly prepared for whatever God grants you. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight (1 John 3:22-23; 5:14-15) and your prayers will be heard!

    When we are prepared we can be useful for God. Zacharias & Elizabeth humbly served God, never knowing that in doing so they were also preparing themselves to be parents to a son who would be the prophet preparing the people for Jesus’ teaching. When we humbly obey God and cleanse ourselves from what is dishonorable, we can be set apart and useful for the Master, and prepared for every good work (2 Timothy 2:19-26). We don’t look for how great or small the task will be or how God will use us, we simply ready ourselves (through continued study, prayer, praise, and obedience) for whatever God gives us to do each day.  

    We can praise God and give Him the glory. Elizabeth gave glory to God before and after the child was born – the neighbours heard that the Lord had shown her mercy – Elizabeth very likely proclaimed God’s praise to all who came to help and visit her at the birth of her son – and the first words out of Zacharias’ mouth were proclamations of praise at God’s faithfulness, mercy, and grace! Whether we are waiting or content, God is worthy of praise! Tuning our hearts toward gratitude and thanksgiving, and thinking about God’s continuing faithfulness, will help us to proclaim His praises to those who ask a reason for the hope that is in us with meekness and fear (1 Peter 2:9; 3:15).

    Zacharias & Elizabeth are not mentioned beyond this chapter, but what is written in the fifty-nine verses pertaining to them shows a lifetime of faithful service to God and each other.  They trusted in God, they prayed to Him, and they praised Him and gave Him the glory. They knew the Scriptures, they knew the promises and prophecies of the Messiah, and rejoiced that the fulfillment of those same prophecies was beginning in their lifetime. We do not get a sense of “Look at me! Look how God is using me!” but of “God is redeeming His people as He promised! God is merciful! God is faithful! May God be glorified!”

    We only have the dash that is carved between the dates on our gravestone, let’s make the most of that time by preparing ourselves to be useful for our Master by humbly obeying His commands each and every day of our lives!

You can do it! So can I!!     

People in the Bible Who Pleased God – Mary, the mother of Jesus

    About 800 years before the birth of Jesus, Isaiah prophesied that He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14-15) and about 700 years before Jesus was born, the prophet Micah prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah* (Micah 5:2). *Ancient name for the town of Bethlehem

    A young woman enters the pages of history described as one betrothed to Joseph (Matthew 1:18). Betrothal in these times meant that there was an agreement between both families and that Joseph and Mary were considered engaged to be married – but it was more than that – Mary was, from the time of the betrothal, considered Joseph’s wife, and he her husband, though they did not live together nor know one another until after the wedding.

    When Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be pregnant. Joseph did not want Mary to be made a public spectacle so he thought about dissolving their agreement secretly, but an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him that the child was conceived of the Holy Spirit; he was also told that Mary would have a Son and that he was to call him Jesus (literally means Saviour, Matthew 1:18-25).

    We are given more background to Mary’s story in the gospel of Luke. The angel, Gabriel, was sent by God, and he spoke to Mary saying, “Rejoice, highly favoured one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” Mary didn’t know what to think about such a greeting as this, but Gabriel told her to not be afraid because she had found favour with God – she pleased God. 

Side note: This same ‘favour’ is used in speaking of David in Acts 7:45-47 – he found favour before God. 

    Mary is told that she will conceive and bring forth a Son and He will be called Jesus (read Luke 1:31-33 to see how Gabriel describes Jesus). Mary asks how it could be possible because she was a virgin, and Gabriel tells her simply that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the power of the Highest would overshadow her – that the Holy One she would bear will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). He goes on to tell her that her relative, Elizabeth, once barren and now old, was 6 months pregnant (with a son, John the baptizer, Luke 1:5-25, 57-80) – “For with God nothing will be impossible”  (Luke 1:37) – and Mary’s response? “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be according to your word.” (Luke 1:38). In saying this, Mary declared herself a willing servant, wholly submitting to God and His will.

    We see a beautiful facet of Mary’s heart and mind, as well as her knowledge of the Scriptures, in Luke 1:46-55 – take the time to read this passage. Mary sings that her soul magnifies the Lord – declares His greatness – and that her spirit rejoices in God her Saviour. She goes on to describe God as One who regards the lowly people who serve Him, One who is mighty, who does great things, who is merciful on those who fear Him; One who is strong and powerful, who is able to pull down the mighty and exalt the lowly, able to fill the hungry with good things, and the One who helped Israel, and in His mercy, He remembered His promise to Abraham and his seed.

Side note: Mary sings words similar to Hannah’s prayer, when Hannah offered a prayer of rejoicing after being blessed with her son, Samuel – see 1 Samuel 2:1-10, specifically verses 5-8

    Mary pleased God. He chose her to be the mother of Jesus. And from what we can learn from the rest of the gospels and the beginning of Acts, Mary remained a faithful maidservant to God: She quietly considered matters she didn’t yet understand (Luke 2:41-51), she stood by the cross while Jesus hung there (John 19:25-27), and she (and Jesus’ brothers) continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the apostles after Jesus’ ascension (Acts 1:9-14). I think it is good to note that her only recorded words after Jesus began His ministry were, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (John 2:5). She submitted to God, followed Jesus, and pointed others to Him, as He pointed all to God.

What can we learn from Mary?  

    When we are prepared, God can use us. Mary, likely never considering how God would/could use her, was faithful to His law and kept herself pure, and because of this was prepared for the role she was to have in Jesus’ birth. We, too, need to seek God’s will (Ephesians 5:10, 17, 2 Timothy 3:16-17) so we can study and show ourselves approved by God, being a worker who is pure in heart and motive (does not need to be ashamed), and who knows the Truth (not carried away by winds of doctrine, Ephesians 4:13-15, 1 Timothy 4:12-16). Read and consider Hebrews 5:12-14. God gave us work to do: good works (Ephesians 2:10, 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Titus 3:8, 14, Matthew 5:14-16, Hebrews 13:16), proclaiming His praises (1 Peter 2:9, Hebrews 13:15), bearing fruit (John 15:8, Galatians 5:22-23), and teaching others (Matthew 28:18-20, Titus 2:3-5, 1 Peter 3:1-4). When we are prepared to do the work, God can use us to light the way for those seeking Him, and He can use us to strengthen our brethren (Ephesians 4:29, 1 Thessalonians 4:18; 5:11). Let’s determine to keep our vessels filled with oil so that we are ready and prepared to do the work (Matthew 25:1-13).  

    We can trust God and willingly submit to His will. I’m sure Mary didn’t fully understand what Gabriel meant by the overshadowing power of the Highest, but she knew that the Highest was God, and with Him she would be okay. Can we trust Him like Mary did?  YES! He is the same God. He loves us and gives us instructions and commands that are for our good always (Deuteronomy 6:24-25), He has provided all we need to succeed in our walk along the difficult path (John 3:16-21, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Ephesians 6:10-18, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:14-16, 1 John 2:3-6), He longs to be gracious to us (Isaiah 30:18), and to welcome us home. Trust Him. “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good, blessed is the man who trust in Him.” (Psalm 34:8)

    We can tell others to follow Jesus, as we continue to follow Him all our days. There are many people in the religious world who want to give great significance to Mary, but Mary’s words were “Whatever He says to you, do it” – these simple words are potent because they clearly say that it is Jesus who needs to be listened to, and His words should be our command. Consider also the woman who wanted to venerate Jesus’ mother in Luke 11:27, then look at Jesus’ response in verse 28. Mary pointed others to Jesus the Christ, not in a loud way, but in a clear, concise way, and we can do that too. We can also hear God’s word and keep it, just as she did. The last we hear of Mary, the mother of Jesus, was after Jesus’ ascension, and we find her with the apostles and brethren (about 120 people, Acts 1:15) earnestly praying; they all had the same mind to serve God and they continued in it together.

    Mary was a woman prepared to obey God and willing to submit to His will. She was one who listened to Jesus and pointed others to Him. She faithfully served God, and when there were times that she didn’t understand, she still trusted Him and continued in obedience to Him. Let’s hear Mary’s words: “Whatever He says to you, do it” as she points us to Jesus and let’s submit to God’s will so that we are prepared to be a useful vessel that can help others come to know Jesus, and let’s follow Him all of our days.

You can do it! So can I!!    

   

People in the Bible Who Pleased God – Joseph

“The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand… So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field.” (Genesis 39:2-3, 5 NKJV)

    A seventeen year old boy named Joseph, much loved and favoured above his eleven brothers, is introduced in the pages of history as a something of a ‘tattletale,’ bringing his father a bad report of his older brothers, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher, who were feeding the flock, and they hated him for it. Then this same young man dreamed dreams that indicated that his siblings, and even his parents, would one day bow down to him. His older brothers rebuked him and envied him; his father, Jacob (aka Israel), also rebuked him for such aggrandizing dreams, but retained these dreams in his mind and pondered over them (Genesis 37:1-11).

    Hatred and jealousy drove his brothers to want to kill him, but when the oldest brother, Reuben, told them to shed no blood, they conceded, stripped Joseph of his coat of many colours (Genesis 37:3, 23), and threw him into a deep pit, until the fourth in line, Judah, suggested a way to get rid of their annoying little brother and ‘keep their hands clean’: sell him to the Midianite traders who were passing by. So, for twenty shekels of silver, Joseph was carried out of their land and into Egypt (Genesis 37:12-28).    

    While in Egypt, God was with Joseph (Genesis 39:2-3, 21-23, also Acts 7:9-10), and Joseph never forgot God. Joseph would not sin against Him when Potiphar’s wife tried to lure him (Genesis 39:1-20), and when he was put into prison after her false accusation, God showed him mercy and gave him favour in the sight of the prison guard so that Joseph was given charge over all the prisoners – “whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper” (Genesis 39:21-23).

    Joseph, seeing his fellow prisoners (the king’s chief baker and the king’s chief butler) looking sad after dreaming troubling dreams, informed them that dream interpretations belong to God (Genesis 40:8), and after hearing their dreams and giving their interpretations, Joseph asked the chief butler to remember him when he was released; the butler forgot him (Genesis 40:14-15, 23), but God did not.

    Two years later, Pharaoh had dreams that he could not understand, and after calling all his wise men and magicians together, he found that there was not one who could interpret the dreams; it was then that the chief butler remembered his faults and mentioned Joseph to the king. Joseph was brought before the king and when Pharaoh told him that he had heard of his ability to understand and interpret dreams, Joseph responded: “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” (Genesis 41:1-16)

    After giving the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams (Genesis 41:1-32), Joseph told him that God would shortly bring it to pass so he should select a wise and discerning man to appoint officers to collect produce during the seven years of plenty, so that there would be food in the cities during the seven years of famine. This advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants (Genesis 41:37).

    Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” Then to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word… See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt… I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” (Genesis 41:38-44)  

Side notes: Joseph was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh (41:46). Pharaoh changed Joseph’s name to Zaphnath-Paaneah (41:45, thought to mean ‘God Speaks and He Lives’, ‘revealer of secrets’, or ‘nourisher of the living one’), and he gave Asenath (daughter of Poti-Pherah, priest of On/northeastern Cairo) to Joseph as a wife (41:45).

    During the seven years of plenty, Joseph’s wife, Asenath, bore him two sons, and Joseph glorified God in the very names he gave them: Manasseh – “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house” (all the trouble and suffering he experienced because of his brothers’ envy was forgotten), and Ephraim – “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.” (Genesis 41:50-52, 46:20). In all areas of his life, Joseph gave God the glory!

    When the seven years of famine had begun, it was severe in all lands, and all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain. Jacob/Israel heard that grain was available in Egypt, and sent ten* of his sons there to buy grain, “that we may live and not die” (Genesis 42:1-2).

*Jacob kept Benjamin from that journey because he was his youngest son – and, to his knowledge, the only remaining son of his loved wife, Rachel (Genesis 37:31-35, 42:3-4, 44:5-31)

    The brothers went before Joseph, who immediately recognized them, but they did not recognize him. Joseph used this to his advantage to not only share grain with his family, but also, eventually, bring his whole family to Egypt, including his younger brother Benjamin (and his beloved father, Jacob. Read the full account: Genesis 42:1-47:12).

    While there were still five years left of the famine (Genesis 45:6) Joseph revealed himself to his eleven brothers. He had been in Egypt for 22 years* and his words to his brothers were these: “God has sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God: and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout the land of Egypt… God has made me lord of all Egypt.” (Genesis 45:7-9) Joseph was not angry, there was no vengeance, no retaliation – only joy in God for being with him and granting him the ability to be a help to his family in their time of need (see Genesis 50:15-21)!    

*Joseph was sold at 17, was 30 when he was brought before Pharaoh, then 7 years of plenty, and 2 years of famine

What can we learn from Joseph?

    We are servants of God, no matter what, no matter where. When surrounded by ungodly people, or facing temptation, we may think ‘no one will see me,’ or ‘no one knows me here, so it won’t matter,’ but God is aware; He sees, He knows. Like Joseph we need to always remember our relationship with God first, see sin for what it is, and strive to not sin against Him (Psalm 119:10-11; 37, 2 Timothy 2:22) – we need to abhor what is evil and cling to what is good (Romans 12:9); we need to be faithful and committed to God every moment of every day because when we faithfully represent God to the world – becoming blameless and harmless children of God (Philippians 2:15), serving Him first (Colossians 3:22-24) – we will shine as lights in the world and prove that His will is good and acceptable and perfect (Matthew 5:14-16, Romans 12:2).

    We can bloom wherever we are planted. No matter where you are, you can faithfully serve God. Even in pagan lands, difficult workplaces, and trying relationships we can follow the one true God and bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), because in reality you are rooted in Christ (Colossians 2:6-7), you are rooted and grounded in love (Ephesians 3:14-21), and you are planted in the house of the LORD (Psalm 92:12-14), so be content with where you are (Philippians 4:11-13) and flourish with what you have (abundant daily blessings from God, Psalm 68:19). Take time to read James, 1:2-4, 2 Peter 3:10-18; 5:6-9

    We can give God the glory. It is God in His mercy who gives us life, breath, and all things (Acts 17:25), it is He who gives us power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18), it is He who gives us wisdom (James 1:5), and it is He who hears our prayers and answers them (1 John 5:14-15). It is God who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9), it is He who gives us abundance for which to do good works (2 Corinthians 9:7-11), and it is He who gives us abilities to be a benefit to others (1 Peter 4:10-11, Romans 12:4-8) – “It is not me, it is God,” “I’m simply using the abilities and wherewithal God blessed me with,” “It is God who gave me the time and opportunity – let Him be thanked.” Read and think on Psalm 16:2, Jeremiah 9:23-24, and James 4:10

    We can be gracious and forgiving. We need both grace and forgiveness from God for our own missteps and sin; if our Creator is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness when we repent and confess our sins to Him, we need to be forgiving and offer grace to those who trespass against us (Matthew 6:12, 14-15, Colossians 3:12-13). Think of how God’s love has helped you and healed you, extend that pathway to those who have hurt you by forgiving them; point them to God, so they may seek help and healing from Him, too. Consider Matthew 18:15 and James 5:20

    Like Daniel, Joseph spent the rest of his days in the foreign land he had been carried off to (Genesis 50:22-26), and through all those years (17 in Canaan, and 93 in Egypt, Genesis 50:26) he never doubted God, nor did he doubt God’s ability to take His people back to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). Like Joseph, we can trust God throughout our lives – His promises are real; what He has said, He will do (1 Thessalonians 5:24, Psalm 34:8).

Are you ready to trust God completely, serve Him faithfully, and give Him the glory?

You can do it! So can I!!      

People in the Bible Who Pleased God – Daniel (and His Companions)

    After Nebuchadnezzar (the king of Babylon, Daniel 1:1) besieged Jerusalem*, he instructed his master of eunuchs, Ashpenaz, to bring some of the young Israelite men back to Babylon (1:3). From the list of qualifications given to Ashpenaz, we can conclude that Daniel and his three companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, were: of royal or noble descent (1:3, of the sons of Judah, 1:6), young, without blemish, good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, and had ability to serve in the king’s palace. They were brought to serve the king of Babylon and to be taught the language and literature of the Chaldeans (1:4, Babylon belonged to the Chaldean dynasty).

*This was 370 years after King Solomon built the temple. After Solomon the kingdom was divided (1 Kings 11:1-13) and the Southern Kingdom of Judah lived under 20 kings (some good, some bad) before being carried off into Babylonian captivity. The books of Jeremiah and Lamentations were written during Nebuchadnezzar’s siege on Jerusalem, his breach of its walls, and his looting of the temple (2 Chronicles 36:15-21, 2 Kings 25:1-5, 8-17).  

    We know that God does not look at the outward appearance, as man does, He looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7), and God saw young men who were determined not to defile themselves while being in Babylonian captivity (see Daniel 1:5-16). God blessed Daniel by bringing him into favour and goodwill with the chief of the eunuchs (1:9) and by making he and his friends healthier than those who ate what the king supplied (1:15). He gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom, and beyond these blessings God gave Daniel understanding in all visions and dreams (1:17).

    Daniel’s friends are not mentioned beyond chapter three, but what is said of them is worthy of study, so take time to read how they, with Daniel, sought God’s mercies (2:11-19), and how God blessed Shadrach (Hananiah), Meshach (Mishael), and Abed-Nego (Azariah) for their unwavering faith and refusal to bow to a carved image of the king in Daniel 3:1-30. Note the promotions they received in the province of Babylon (2:46-49, 3:30).

    Throughout his lifetime, Daniel kept his determination to not become defiled while living in a pagan nation. When jealous men sought to bring him down because he was favoured by the king, Daniel kept to his habit of opening his windows toward Jerusalem to pray and give thanks to God three times a day (6:3-10), knowing full well it meant that he would be thrown into a den of lions (6:10-20). God blessed him and wholly protected him from harm (6:21-23).

“My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” (Daniel 6:22 NKJV)

    Daniel’s faithful example caused kings who worshiped many false gods to acknowledge the one true God; to bless Him, praise Him, and to declare His power, dominion, and might (2:47, 3:28-29, 4:1-3; 34-37). His immovable faith caused one ruler (Darius, king of the Medes, 6:2) to make an unchangeable decree (6:8, 15) that in every dominion of his kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel (6:26).   

    Daniel was mentioned, by the LORD, as a man of righteousness (along with Noah and Job, see Ezekiel 14:14 and 20). He remained righteous while living the rest of his adult life in a foreign land, and while serving under rulers who did not regularly acknowledge God. Daniel is a man who pleased God in his determination to remain undefiled by the world around him.

What can we learn from Daniel and his companions?            

    We can live righteously before God, even in an ungodly nation (2 Corinthians 6:17-18, 2 Peter 2:13-17, 1 John 3:1-3, 7). We are to pray to God and earnestly beg Him, as we make intercession for, and give thanks for the governments that we live under (1 Timothy 2:1-4). We are not to rise up against those in authority (Romans 13:1-7), we are to humbly submit to God and do what He has asked us to do – His blessings cannot be blocked or held back by any oppressive leader or regime. Remember, there is no law against the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), so let us continue to walk in the Spirit and serve God, and we will be blessed (Proverbs 16:13, 22:11, Matthew 5:44-48, Colossians 3:22-24).  

    People are going to exalt others and pressure us to join in worshiping* them – be it a social media influencer, a singer, a celebrity, or a religious speakers/political leader – we need to be determined not to defile ourselves with what the world exalts (Ephesians 4:17-24, Colossians 3:1-4, 2 Peter 2:18-22). Daniel’s companions didn’t organize a rally, start a petition, or incite a riot; they simply chose to remain standing with God in obedience to His commands (Exodus 20:4-6). We were created to seek God (Acts 17:26-27) and to proclaim His praises (1 Peter 2:9). He is to be our only guide (Proverbs 3:5-8, Matthew 7:21-23). He is to be our hope and strength (Psalm 33:20-22, Romans 15:13, Ephesians 6:10-18). We are to desire to be in His presence (Psalm 27:4-5, 8; 122:1, 2 Peter 3:11-18, Psalm 17:15).

*Anyone who we think about more than God; who we spend more time following/learning about/learning from, anyone whose actions/activities guide our decisions (ex: choosing to see them over going to worship/Bible study) is someone whom we worship. And, yes, some have exalted religious speakers to a place where whatever they say is accepted without further investigation or study (as opposed to Acts 17:11); they are given an almost ‘celebrity’ status and people will fill van loads, driving for miles to hear them night after night, but these same people can hardly bring themselves to support a Bible lesson series being taught by a little known (or local) preacher one night out of the week.

    We may go through fiery trials, but God will be with us (1 Peter 1:3-9). When we draw near to God, He will draw near to us (James 4:8). Take time to read Psalm 34 – God will not forsake us, He hears the cries of the righteous – He will strengthen us, comfort us, and deliver us (Psalm 46:1-11, 50:15, 1 Peter 5:9-11, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Consider how God helped Paul, as described in 2 Timothy 4:17-18.

    We can lead others to consider God and His way when we faithfully obey God (Daniel 6:16-23) Wives with submissive and chaste conduct (gentle and quiet spirits) may, without a word, win their unbelieving husbands to Christ (1 Peter 3:1-4). When we abstain from fleshly lusts and conduct ourselves honourably in the world, we may cause those who want to speak evil of us to come to a place of glorifying God instead because of the good we do as we humbly serve Him (Matthew 5:16, Philippians 2:14-16, 1 Peter 2:11-12, Romans 6:13, 17-18). When we present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, transformed by the renewing of our mind, we can prove to others that God’s will is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2, also consider Deuteronomy 6:24-25).

    We, too, live in a time of captivity – the world is held captive under the sway of the devil (1 John 5:19) – but the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true (1 John 5:20); we can find out what is acceptable to God (Ephesians 5:8-10), and we can understand what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:15-17) and we can practice righteousness every single day (Matthew 6:33, 1 John 2:3-6; 3:7, James 1:21-25). Our determination to remain faithful to God, to take a stand for Him, and not be defiled with the world and its ways, may encourage someone else who sees our continuing, humble obedience to consider God, and they may even choose to begin obeying Him with us! Let’s point them in the right direction, and determine to show them that God’s way is the BEST way!

You can do it! So can I!! 

People in the Bible Who Pleased God - Job

    Just before we delve into Job, here’s a small fun fact I learned: The book of Job is actually a poem. Beginning and ending in prose with the poetry in the middle; it is considered a masterpiece of Hebrew poetry. Interesting, eh? Now, let’s get in to our study!

“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.” (Job 1:1 NKJV)

    The LORD, Himself, described Job in this way: “…My servant Job…there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil.” (Job 1:8)

    Job was the greatest* of all people of the East. He possessed 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen (= 1000 oxen), 500 female donkeys, and a very large household (= servants and family).

*greatest means distinguished amongst men. Both Job’s character (v1) and his possessions (and the land needed to keep them) made him quite notable amongst those who lived in the East at that time. Other men in the Old Testament described as being great: Moses (very great, Exodus 11:3), David (2 Samuel 5:10), and Mordecai (Esther 9:4).

    But in one day, Job lost all his oxen and donkeys to raiding Sabeans, all his sheep to fire, all his camels to three bands of raiding Chaldeans, all his children (seven sons and three daughters, Job 1:2) to a windstorm, and all his herdsman/servants except the four messengers who alone escaped each devastating event to tell Job of his losses.

    In rapid succession – each subsequent messenger arrived before the previous messenger had even finished speaking (Job 1:16, 17, 18) – Job heard these devastating reports and this is how he responded: He got up, tore his robe, shaved his head (both genuine symbols of deep grief*), and fell to the ground and worshiped the LORD.

*Other examples of this type of grieving: Tearing of garments – Reuben (Genesis 37:29), Jacob (Genesis 37:34), David and his men (2 Samuel 1:11-12), Joshua (Joshua 7:6), and Jephthah (Judges 11:35). Shaving of hair – the people of Moab (Jeremiah 48:37-38), and the mariners viewing Tyre (Ezekiel 27:29-32). Note: The children of Israel were commanded to not shave the front of their head when mourning for the dead (Deuteronomy 14:1-2). The fact that Job shaved his head while mourning is a good indicator that he lived before the time of Moses and the Law; and considering his lifespan (he lived for another 140 years after God replenished his losses, 42:16-17), some scholars place him around the time of the patriarchs.

    Job, in worship, said, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21). It is after this declaration that the LORD repeats His first description of Job and adds: “And still he holds fast to his integrity” (Job 2:3).

    Integrity, as used in the book of Job, means innocence.  The LORD knew that there was no cause to destroy Job (2:3); he had done nothing wrong. It was Satan who wanted to see Job suffer and stumble. He saw God’s blessings on Job as a hedge of protection (1:10); he thought that if Job’s physical blessings were taken away from him, then surely Job would curse God to His face. When Job responded to his losses with worship and blessing, Satan desired to go further; he wanted to threaten Job’s very life in the hopes that he would finally turn and curse God to His face (2:4-5). So, the LORD permitted him to afflict Job, but would not allow Satan to take Job’s life. Job was struck with painful boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head, and sitting in a pile of ashes (another show of grieving, Jonah 3:6), Job tried to find a moment’s relief by scraping his skin with a piece of broken pottery.

Note: curse = depart from, turn away, while speaking words of irreverent contempt

    Job’s wife, who was also grieving the loss of all seven of her children, likely knew the loss of livestock also meant loss of income. Now she sees her husband’s health and wellbeing in jeopardy; she may have wondered, ‘What more will happen? How much more loss can I bear?’ and in possible anxiety, frustration, and upset, she says to Job, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” (2:9)   

    Job’s friends heard of his troubles, came to mourn with him and comfort him (2:11-13). They saw him at a distance, and he was so disfigured that they wept aloud, tore their robes, and sprinkled dust on their heads (this form of mourning is also seen in Joshua 7:6, Nehemiah 9:1, Lamentations 2:10, and Ezekiel 27:30). His friends came closer, and sat in silence with him for seven days and seven nights. It seemed Job had their support until they opened their mouths against him. Each in their turn, they told him that he must have some secret sin that he clings to and refuses to give up; to their thinking, that is why God is punishing him (and why He punished Job’s children, see 8:4). Job hears them, refutes them, and declares them all to be “worthless physicians” (13:4-5) and “miserable comforters” (16:1-2); they look upon Job as stubborn and self-righteous, he looks upon them as an unexpected source of additional pain and suffering.

    Job endured through personal loss (including loss of physical wellbeing), the loss of his wife’s support, loss of his friend’s support, and he believed he had lost his God’s support on top of all that. Job suffered greatly, and felt that a life without these things should never have been (see Chapter 3).

    Job desired to stand before God to have “his case” tried, to defend himself, and discover why God would contend with him and oppress him (10:1-22), and it is not until Chapter 38 that Job hears from God and Job’s response to what the LORD states and asks of him is yet another reason why I feel he belongs in this series of study: “Then Job answered the LORD and said: “Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth. Once I have spoken, but I will not answer, yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”  (Job 40:3-5) The LORD continues to question him, and at the end Job humbly responds, “…I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know… I have heard You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You*. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”  (42:3, 5-6)  *“but now my eye sees You” I believe this is Job’s poetic way of saying that his understanding has now been broadened, that his eyes have been opened to begin to take in the scope of God’s magnificent and manifold wisdom.

    It is after this that the LORD commands Job’s friends to take seven bulls and seven rams to Job to offer as burnt sacrifices and to ask Job to pray for them, because what they had spoken of God was not right (42:7-9). When Job prayed for his friends, God restored all of Job’s losses – twice as much as he had before (42:10-12) – and he was again blessed with seven sons and three daughters, and lived to see his great great grandchildren (42:13-17).

What can we learn from Job?

    We need to pray for our children and our friends. Job continued to pray for his children even after some (or all) of them had houses of their own (Job 1:4-5); it was his regular habit. What greater gift can we give our children (beyond teaching them about God and His way) than asking our heavenly God to bless them, to be merciful and gracious to them, to forgive them, and to grant them help, health, and safety? Job prayed for his friends (Job 42:10), and we should too, just as we pray for our children. Read and consider 1 Samuel 12:21-24 and think on the apostle Paul’s prayers for his ‘children in the faith’ throughout his epistles.  

    Friends and family may fail us, but God never will. Read and think on Mark 10:29-30 and Matthew 19:29. Don’t put your trust in people (Psalm 146:3-4), put your trust in God (Jeremiah 17:5-8, Psalm 1). Our spouse can run short on hope in God, our friends may believe their way of thinking is right, and they all may encourage us to go along with them in their beliefs, but if it is not in accord with God, if it causes us to turn from honouring and serving Him in any way, we need to take a stand for what is right, for what is truth, stay the course, and guide the erring to the Light (Matthew 5:14-16, 1 Peter 3:1-2).  

    When troubles come, don’t ask, “Why me?” ask instead, “Help me!” Teach yourself to trust God (Psalm 34:8, James 1:2-4, Romans 5:1-5) and to look for His blessings of help and comfort (Hebrews 4:16, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4). He is faithful  to help us today, and He is already in Tomorrow when our eyes open to it – His blessings do not run out, they are renewed every morning (Lamentations 3:22-26). He waits to bless us; He longs to be gracious to us (Isaiah 30:18). Trust Him. Trust His timing. Trust His help. Look for God’s abundant blessings as you go through your troubles and trials; He does not forsake the righteous (Psalm 34:4, 17-18; 37:25-26)

“It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night.” (Psalm 92:1-2 NKJV)

    We only know part, but God knows the whole (read and think on Isaiah 55:8-9, 1 Corinthians 13:12, 1 John 3:1-2). As Job discovered, there are things too wonderful for us to fully comprehend, so what a blessing it is that we can simply put our trust in the very One who knows all and cares so deeply for us. “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7, see also James 4:10) God wants to bless us/restore us, and that may be in this life or in eternity, but either way we know it will be okay because it is He who is over all.  Jesus, in His trials, committed Himself “to Him who judges righteously” – the One who sees all and knows all – let’s follow in Jesus’ steps and endure faithfully through our troubles!  

“Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and see the end intended by the Lord – that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” (James 5:11 NKJV)

    A new way to look at troubles: My Dad often said, ‘When we are faced with difficulties, think of it like this – in every situation there are three votes cast – the first is cast by God who believes you can overcome, the second is cast by the devil who desires you to fail, and the third vote is yours to cast… do you cast your vote with God or with the devil? With God’s help you can overcome (Genesis 4:7, 1 Corinthians 10:31, 1 John 5:4-5)! “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Read and consider Romans 8:31-39.

    If you are struggling – I encourage you to go to God and ask Him for help to endure and, if it is His will, to overcome. Look for His blessings, seek the truth in His word; let it comfort you (Romans 15:4-6). Trust in His promises, they do not fail (Hebrews 10:23); sing praises to him in the morning for His lovingkindness (mercy) and praise Him every night for His faithfulness – the LORD has helped you through 100% of your bad days, and He will keep helping because His mercies are renewed every.single.day. Let’s pray for our children and for each other. Life is often hard, but God is always good. Let’s run to Him – trust in Him – in good times and in bad, and serve Him faithfully all our days!!

You can do it! So can I!! 

People in the Bible Who Pleased God – Solomon

    Solomon was “young and inexperienced” when he was given the task to build the temple and be the anointed king over Israel (1 Chronicles 28:2-7; 29:1, 21-24), so his father David encouraged him to “be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God – my God – will be with you…” (1 Chronicles 28:20). Moreover, David prayed that God would give Solomon a loyal heart to keep His commandments, His testimonies, and His statutes, to do all these things, and to build the temple (1 Chronicles 29:19).

    The LORD promised to establish Solomon’s kingdom forever IF Solomon was steadfast to observe His commandments and His judgments, and Solomon, in the sight of the assembly of Israel and in the hearing of God, was to carefully seek out all the commandments of the LORD, that he might possess the good land (of Israel) and leave it as an inheritance for his children after him, forever (1 Chronicles 28:6-8). David, knowing this, instructed his son to “know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.”  (1 Chronicles 28:9)

    After David’s death, the LORD appeared to Solomon and said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

    Here is Solomon’s response:

“Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” (1 Kings 3:7-9 NKJV)

    The next verse (v10) says: “The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.”

    Because Solomon, in sincere humility, asked for wisdom, the LORD blessed him with a wise and understanding heart, as well as riches and wealth and honour, “such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.” (1 Kings 3:12, 2 Chronicles 1:11-12)

    Consider this description of God’s blessing to Solomon:

"And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men—than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five. Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon." (1 Kings 4:29:34 NKJV)

    A few chapters later, in the book of I Kings, Solomon has built the temple and dedicated it to the LORD. God appears to Solomon again and restates His promise to establish the throne of Solomon’s kingdom forever IF he walks before God as his father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, to do according to all that God has commanded, and if he keeps His statutes and His judgments. BUT if Solomon or his sons at all turn from following God, and do not keep His commandments and statutes which He has set before them, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then He will cut off Israel from the land, and the temple will be cast out of His sight; Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples…because they forsook the LORD their God…and have embraced other gods and worshiped them and served them (1 Kings 9:4-7, 9).

    During his reign, Solomon had such increase of wealth that silver was counted as nothing in his days; it was as common in Jerusalem as stones (1 Kings 10:21, 27). One would think that with all his wisdom, all his wealth, all his power and influence – “…all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart” (1 Kings 10:24) – that Solomon would be a leader in every room, that people would seek to align with him and his beliefs, but sadly, Solomon allowed himself to be influenced and allowed his heart to be turned.

    Solomon married many foreign women – something the LORD had told the Israelites not to do because “surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods” (1 Kings 11:2) – Solomon clung to these women in love, and when he was old “his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.” (1 Kings 11:4). He went so far as to follow after these foreign gods and to build places of worship for them – he did this for all his foreign wives – can you imagine what Jerusalem must have looked like with all those pagan structures built by the king?

    Solomon, a man who had been visited by the LORD twice, a king who, in all his wisdom, concluded that man’s whole purpose and endeavour in life is to “Fear God and keep His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14), took wives from nations he was not to intermarry with, and followed them to do evil in the sight of the LORD (1 Kings 11:6).

What can we learn from Solomon?

    Ask God for wisdom. It pleased the LORD then, and it pleases Him now. If any of you lacks wisdom, ask of God and He will give it liberally, and He won’t reprimand you for asking for it or for needing it (James 1:5). If we, like Solomon, want to discern both good and evil, we must do what God commands (Hebrews 5:14). Don’t glory in your education and/or life experience and think yourself wise, seek after the wisdom that is from above (James 3:13-18).

    Use your blessings for good.  If God has blessed you with something – whether small or great – use it to His glory (Colossians 3:17, 23, Romans 12:6-8, Galatians 6:1). Don’t let your pursuit to use your talent(s) lead you away from Him; be humble, be content, give God the glory, and serve Him faithfully with sincere love and thanksgiving (Jeremiah 9:23-24, 1 Timothy 4:12-16, Titus 2:3-5).

    Choose your friends and/or your spouse wisely. Solomon wrote, “The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.” (Proverbs 12:26, also consider 2 Corinthians 6:14). We can either influence or be influenced; if we do not anchor ourselves in God and His way, we can easily be led astray by friends/family who do not respect Him (think on 1 Peter 4:1-4, Ephesians 4:17-24, Romans 12:9). A wife can be a good influence on a husband who does not believe, by submitting first to God, then to her husband; when the husband observes his wife’s chaste conduct accompanied by fear, he may be won over to faith and service to God (1 Peter 3:1-2).

    Be faithful until death. Solomon made choices that pleased God when he was young, but when he was old he allowed worldly influence to turn him away from the LORD.  God wants us to count the cost – understand that it is a lifetime commitment we make to Him (Luke 14:25-33). He wants us to deny self, take up our cross – knowing we are not returning to our old life again – and follow Him, each and every day of our life (Matthew 16:24, Luke 9:23). Read and consider Revelation 2:10, Psalm 71:17-18; 92:12-15, Proverbs 16:31, Hebrews 10:34-39.

    God is the only way. It was God who gave Solomon the wherewithal to array himself in fine clothing, but God made the short-lived lilies of the field even more beautiful than that king’s apparel (Matthew 6:29). And even though we can be wowed that the Queen of Sheba traveled great distances to hear the wisdom of Solomon, a greater than Solomon is here – Jesus Christ (Matthew 12:42). Don’t be awed by fashion, appearance, wealth, or worldly wisdom, be awed by God and His magnificent power and glory, and His great love that gave us “a greater than Solomon” and who clothes us better than the flowers. When we are given gifts, do not forget the Giver of “every good and perfect gift” (James 1:17); it is God who gives us life, breath, and all things (Acts 17:25), it is God who gives us ability to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18); only in Him and His Son can we find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:2-3), and it is only through His Son that we can be given the greatest gifts: forgiveness (Acts 2:38; 10:43, Colossians 1:13-14, 1 John 1:9) and eternal life (John 3:16-18, Romans 6:23, 1 John 5:11).

    Solomon had asked for an ability to discern between good and evil when he was young and it pleased God, but he disregarded it when he was old, and worldly influence turned his heart from God. He stopped heeding God and even his own wise advice – let’s not make the same mistake. Fear God and keep His commandments, all the days of our lives.

You can do it! So can I!!