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Turn to the Lord
1Ch 22:7-9 (KJV) “And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God: (8) But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight. (9) Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.” Rather than our constantly being harassed by the devil and his crew, it is more God’s desire that we be content to live with Jesus Christ as our Lord in the peace and prosperity of His Kingdom. It was a testimony to God that Solomon could live in peace and judge righteously with all wisdom while at the same time lacking nothing of this realm that could be acquired, using it all for the glory of God. But as time went by, just as Adam and Eve had done in the garden, so also did King Solomon by choosing to do that which the Lord had forbidden him to do. 1Ki 11:9-10 (KJV) “And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, (10) And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.” Solomon could have passed on a heritage of peace and Kingdom living to the upcoming generations, but instead he gave into temptations that ultimately led to the destruction of the nation and the temple. Jam 1:13-15 (KJV) “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: (14) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (15) Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” Jam 4:1 (KJV) “From whence [come] wars and fightings among you? [come they] not hence, [even] of your lusts that war in your members?” Stop blaming God! All of us will have temptations to overcome, and all of us will have to crucify our old fleshly natures; but we will stay worn out if we fight in our own strength, with our own motives, those derived from our own desires. We must see now in a greater way why it is so important to be led by Holy Spirit for direction in times of battle as well as in times of rest. Sometimes the Lord does have us stand and fight in His name, such as He did with David when it was time to slay the lion, the bear, and even Goliath, the Philistine giant. At other times the battle belongs to the Lord, such as when satan stood to accuse Joshua, and the Lord Himself rebuked satan on behalf of Joshua. Zec 3:1-2 (KJV) “And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. (2) And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: [is] not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” When King David’s heart was set towards the Lord, he was the apple of God’s eye. When Solomon worshiped the Lord, the glory filled the temple. When Joshua turned to the Lord, even though he was wearing soiled garments, he found salvation and rest. There is nothing worth as much as our relationship with Jesus Christ, so consider this promise: “For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:..” Isa 30:15 (KJV)
-Kurt Thurston
March Newsletter 2007 | Edification | Building the Church part 2 of 3 |
Biblical Counseling for Leaders
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