Scripture:

1 Kings 12:24

24 ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” Therefore they obeyed the word of the Lord, and turned back, according to the word of the Lord.

"When Plans Collide"

A little context for today's portion, Solomon, in the later part of his life, allowed his wives to drag him away from the Lord, serving other gods, and as a result, the Lord told him that the kingdom would be ripped from his hand, but not all of it, because he had promised to David, who was faithful to the Lord.  Furious and determined to reunite the divided kingdom by force, Rehoboam (David's grandson) assembled a massive army of 180,000 warriors. However, the LORD intervened by sending the prophet Shemaiah with a clear directive.

So, here we have the Lord moving in all of this to do what?   To drive people back to Him, they had strayed from the Lord and their hearts were far from Him, they had turned away and like so many other times, they had to be motivated by pain rather than obedience.   But here is another reminder that nothing can stop the plan of God in our lives.   We can resist it, we can fight against it, but that would bring more disaster, that would only put us in a position to be fighting against God and that never turns out well.

So today's God Shot is to recognize God's plan, His purpose in our lives, and align ourselves with it, which will bring peace.   Notice that Rehoboam was going to try to reunite the Northern Kingdom by force, but because it was God's plan (because of their sin) God warned them not to go, and their obedience brought peace. 

Father, may we always seek out your purpose in our lives, your plan, my our hearts and our lives align with it, may we never fight against that which you have established, and pursue you and your Kingdom, Lord direct us, speak to us, lead us into your purpose in Jesus' name, Amen!

Scripture:

Proverbs 31:25

"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future."

"Prepared"

One of the things the Lord has been impressing on me is that we should be prepared. In verse 27, it says she does not eat the bread of idleness; in verse 25, it says "she laughs without fear of the future."   Why?  Is it because she is careless or unaware of reality?   No.   It is because she is prepared and free from anxiety, knowing that she is prepared for whatever tomorrow brings.   Two things:

• Strength and Dignity 

Being "clothed" in these qualities speaks of her inner character that defines who she is, and implies that her actions are guided by godly wisdom, resilience, and self-respect.

Laughs Without Fear of the Future

She is prepared; if the Lord came, she would be ready. Her life is prepared, ready. She is not just waiting for the next life event; she is prepared for it.

Oh man... The God Shot today is a zinger, it asks the question, are we prepared for Christ, are we clothed in the Character of Christ, is our future secure because of our relationship with Him?   Are we ready for His return, prepared to be with Him? Our lives should be lived in preparation for eternity, and I think we forget that.   This prompts us to re-evaluate our position and asks whether we're prepared.

Lord, if we are off track, place us back on the right path; if we are just carrying on living only preparing for today, change us, let us be like the Proverbs 31 woman in that our life is built around you and your Kingdom, our purposes are built on yours, we are not idle or unprepared, in  Jesus' name, Amen!

Scripture:

2 Chronicles 9:8

8 Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you, setting you on His throne to be king for the Lord your God! Because your God has loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.”

It Belongs to Him

When you have God's favor, people will see it.   Something to note about today's portion is that the Queen of Sheba understood that God blessed Solomon and placed him in his position, and as a result, the people he served were blessed.    This is something to pay attention to, because it reminds us that God is always positioning us for His "Purpose," His purpose in us and "through" us.  Notice that she says "setting you on His throne."   Daniel says something similar in Daniel 4:17, "The Lord is sovereign over the kingdoms of men, and He gives them to whomever He pleases."     It is God who gives wisdom, it is God who raises us up, it is His throne, His "PURPOSE" in our lives that matters.   It is just as much what He is doing in us as it is what He will do through us.

So, today's God Shot is that God has what you need to succeed and the places He has placed you are for His "PURPOSE", IN YOU and THROUGH YOU. His plans are so much bigger than just giving you power; it is that you are blessed, you are transformed, you are a blessing.   The important bit is that we would love the purpose more than the position.

Lord, thank you that you are still positioning people like us with purpose, to work in us and through us to be a blessing and to be blessed, that your wisdom, your power, your understanding is unmatchable and it is available to those who ask, so I ask that you would give us wisdom and power to live in your purpose, to live for it, and through it the world around us would look different, the people we serve would be blessed, in Jesus' name, Amen!

Scripture

Ecclesiastes 10:10

If the ax is dull,

And one does not sharpen the edge,
Then he must use more strength;
But wisdom [a]brings success.

Don't Waste Your Time

I love this portion, because most of us get the point on the surface.   The moral of the story here is work smarter, not harder.   But how many of us have invested a lot of hard work into something that in the end wasn't worth it or didn't produce fruit?   One of the truths you learn as you get older is that time is precious, that once wasted, you cannot get it back.  It is not that you shouldn't keep trying to accomplish things, but rather that you should consider who you will do it for, so as not to waste your time.  Wisdom is the process by which we determine what things we should be doing and what things we should not; that is what Solomon is saying: don't waste your time. In ministry, you learn that people will ask you to start many things, but not all of them are you supposed to do. Other things we need to consider are their results, is it worth all the energy, this is wisdom, knowing what you should and should not do. 

So today's God Shot is: "Don't waste our time."   Consider, plan, and do preparations now so that you make the most of your time.   Because in the end, your time is the most precious thing you have.    It is not that we should not accomplish much, nor that we shouldn't try, but we should consider the cost, be prepared, and sharpen our axes before we cut the wood.

If you:

1. Plan before you prepare
2. Consider the cost
3. Seek Wisdom from the Lord

You will not waste your time...

Lord, I pray that we would do the things you prepared us to do, that we would guard our time, our strength, and not waste any of the resources you have given us, that we would be fruitful, that what we put our hands to would prosper, that we would have you favor, that our axes would be sharp and our labor short, that in the end we would accomplish more. 

Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 5:6

6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.

Are You Ready

Recently, the Lord reminded me of Revelation Chapter 2, where we read about the Church of Ephesus. When you read it you understand that they were a church that checked all the boxes, they hated wickedness, they were hard-working (Ministry). As far as walking out the Kingdom, we would have called them an awesome church, but the Lord notes their deficit: they had lost sight of the "why".  He says, "Remember your first love, go back and do the things you did at first, remember the depth from which you have been redeemed."   Why?   Because we can become so wrapped up in the what and lose sight of the why.    

We can be so prepared for the day of trouble, but what about the day of His return, the day that you face Him "face-to-face," are you ready?    Are you preparing for His return?   

The God Shot today is to get back to the "WHY" you do the "WHAT" for.    To return to your first love (Christ), to get your LAMPS ready (Matthew 25:1-13) so that on that day you are not found without your OIL, today you should be as challenged by this word from God as I am, to FAN the FLAME of your FAITH,  to stir your heart to do those things that will PREPARE you for His return.

Lord, you have gifted us time; it is precious (Psalm 90:12) let us use it all for your glory, let us not waste it, may we be in a ready state for your return, with arms wide, hearts prepared, lives that would bring you Glory, may our lamps be full and the light that you have placed in us not grow dim, breathe into our lives O' Lord, breathe in, in Jesus' name, Amen!