Scripture:

1 Kings 3:16-27

16 Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. 18 The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.19 “During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. 20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. 21 The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.” 22 The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.” But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king. 23 The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’”24 Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. 25 He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.” 26 The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!” But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!” 27 Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother. 

"Something Has to Die"

Today, we have a strange but powerful story about two women, well, two prostitutes who come before Solomon with a problem. It seems that one of their babies had died in the night, had been suffocated accidentally, and they are before Solomon, who is now the wisest man who ever lived, and they plead their case. However, the thing I want to highlight is the mother of the baby, her response: vv 26: 

The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!” 

She was willing to give up her baby rather than see him die, willing to lose him anyway so that he could live.  Love is sacrificial. When you really love someone or something, you will make sacrifices for that love.   

Jesus said in (Matthew 16:25) if we want to save our lives, we must die. Another peculiar statement, but fitting for this portion today.   To live things in us must die, old nature, old habits, even sometimes our wants, our needs, so that we can truly live.   I believe this story demonstrates this sacrificial love, one that puts others before itself, that dies to itself, so that the object of its love can live.  That is what God did in Christ, loved us so much He became our sacrifice. 

To live, we must learn to die, to die to our old self, to die to selfishness so that we can truly live in Christ. This is what I would say is our God shot: that we should live sacrificially, love that way too. 

Lord, give us a heart after you, after your Kingdom, let us live as you lived and love as you loved, sacrificially, let us value others, let us value life, not waste it. Let us love with all that is within us, be willing to let go of what doesn't belong and cling to what does, in Jesus' name, Amen!

Scripture:

Psalm 119:37

Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in [b]Your way.

"Right Focus"

Your life is influenced by what you focus on, because what you focus on gets into your mind, and the Bible says, "As a man thinketh, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). This means what gets your focus gets you.  So, the Psalmist is saying: Don't let me waste my time; don't let me focus on things that will produce nothing good, worthless things.    See, the world would have us pursue things that in the end won't matter, but God would have us do what matters eternally, that not only impacts our lives, but the lives of others, the lives of those we love.    The world says to pursue wealth, power, possessions, and position, but none of those things are lasting nor do they fulfill.   

This should transform our prayer life, we should be like the psalmist and seek to keep our focus on the things that matter.   That really is our takeaway today, our God Shot!   To focus on what matters and not be led away by worthless things, to revive God's plan for our lives, to seek after Him, His ways, to pursue that which has eternal implications, that will actually satisfy. 

Lord, lead us in your ways; let not our eyes be set on worthless things; keep us from getting dragged away by worthless things; let us find joy in you, in your ways, in your plans; let those plans fulfill the purpose you have for us; let that bring us peace and joy and affect those around us in Jesus' name, Amen!

Scripture:

1 Chronicles 28:9

9 “As for you, my son Solomon, 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.

"To Know Him"

To know the God who knows you, probably the greatest instructions you and I could take hold of, is that the God who knows you wants you to know Him, not just to know Him, but to seek Him, seek His instruction, His direction, to seek a relationship with you.   The one person who knows the hearts and intent of our thoughts, yet many people have no relationship with Him. The promise here is that if you seek Him, He will be found by you, and that is greater than all the riches of the world. 

A call for personal and sincere faith, for you and me to pursue the Lord, to pursue His wisdom, to pursue His direction, that our lives might be influenced by Him, His wisdom, and understanding, His righteousness and goodness, His peace and Joy.   To seek Him with all that is within you, to KNOW the God who KNOWS you.

Lord, I thank you that you desire a relationship with us, that you desire that we would pursue you and your ways, that our lives would be transformed by this pursuit, that we would truly become the children of God, influenced by you rather than the world. Change us, O' Lord, let our pursuit of you ever transform our lives in Jesus' name, Amen!

Scripture:

Psalm 139

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—    when I awake, I am still with you. 19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!  Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! 20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,  and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? 22 I have nothing but hatred for them;  I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

"I See You"

There is a scene in the first Avatar when Neytiri says to Jake Sully, "I See You!"   It is this moment where you understand that she is saying that she has seen the depth of Jake, that who he is has been revealed to her.   This is what I see when I read Psalm 139: we serve the God who "Sees" us, El Roi. Not only does God see us, but David reminds us that we are "Known" by Him in such an intimate way that He knew us in our creation, He knows the intricacies of our life, our gifts, our talents, our strengths, our weaknesses, our going and our coming, rising and lying down.   Not even your poor choices could hide you from the sight and presence of the Lord. He is omnipresent, but get this, He is omnipresent in your life, and by definition of this truth, He never leaves you or forsakes you.   Let all that simmer in your noggin...    

Now this should blow your mind to:  "He has thoughts of you."   The Great I AM, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords thinks about you, He has thoughts about you, a lot of them, He has been thinking about you more than you can count, you are "ON HIS MIND." 

If you have ever felt unseen or forgotten, this is a reminder that not only are you loved by the LORD, but you are SEEN, you are THOUGHT OF, you matter to Him, He is with you.   The world will try to isolate you, but the good news is that nothing can separate you from His presence or His love.  That is our God shot today, our takeaway... 

Maybe you needed this today!

Lord, we praise you that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, that you see us, that we are seen by you, that you have thoughts about us, that you are working for our good, working on our behalf, that there is nowhere we can go that will separate us from you, from your love, we give you all praise in Jesus' name, Amen!

Scripture:

1 Chronicles 23:25

 25 For David said, “The Lord God of Israel has given rest to His people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem forever”;

"Rest"

"Jehovah Shalom,"  Maybe today you are looking for a reason to praise. Well, this verse is a reminder that we have that reason: the God of Peace, Jehovah Shalom, can give you rest just as He did for David and the people of his day. This verse has so much packed into it.

Listen to His words:

• The Lord God of Israel:            Reminding you that you are His children
• Jerusalem :                              God has placed His name on the place you live.
• Dwell in Jerusalem forever:     Stability 

Israel means "strives with God." This is a picture of coming alongside God, through good and bad, through ups and downs, through struggle and victory.  This word is translated as "struggles with God."   But it is the same picture, when the Lord is beside you, you can face anything, when you struggle with God, meaning when God is with you in your struggle, life is better.   This name is a reminder that we need to do life with the Lord, to strive with Him, which is why this verse is powerful.   You want rest, get alongside the Lord. 

Trust the Lord for the rest you need. Remember that you are His child, that He can bring you into a place of stability and rest, He is Jehovah Shalom, the God of Peace.  Strive with Him, don't choose to struggle alone, but with God; His strength is perfected in your weakness. 

Lord, we praise you that you are with us in our struggles, that you can bring us into a place of rest, you are able to bring peace in the midst of storms, you can speak into them, to calm the storms of this life, you are able to bring us into a place of security and rest, and we praise you for your wonderous hand in our lives, let us not get far from your presence in Jesus' name, Amen!