1 Kings 13:1-15:15, 25-34; 2 Chronicles 11:18-15:19. “Simplicity is not Guaranteed” We have been thinking some this week about the connection between obediently following God and living a simple life.  While it is true that our own sin often complicates life, it is not the only reason why life can be difficult and complicated.  It is no small thing to live a simple life that results from making w...  Read More

Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:14; 1 Kings 12:1-33; 2 Chronicles 10:1-11:17.  “Honor God in Your Youth” I have a problem.  You may very well have the same problem.  I often find myself thinking that it will be easier to honor God and make Him more of a priority in my life down the road.  If I can just survive until some day in the future, life will be better and easier, right?  Not necessarily.The older I g...  Read More

Ecclesiastes 7:1-11: 6.  “The Best Things in Life are Free” Have you ever had a chance to sit on the beach and enjoy the sunset?  Another sight that I really enjoy is to watch the sunrise over the alfalfa fields of the high desert in the fall with the cool air of a frosty morning surrounding me.  Of course, these sights pale in comparison to that of my young daughter’s smile.In writing Ecclesiaste...  Read More

Ecclesiastes 1:12-6:12.  “Man in the Mirror” The book of Ecclesiastes is filled with numerous observations about how life tends to work in general.  Written by Solomon towards the end of his life, it is a reflection on much of what he has learned.  Solomon lived a far from simple life and, in this book, he recounts some of his attempts to enjoy life.Why does life have to be so complicated?  The ma...  Read More

1 Kings 11:1-43; 2 Chronicles 9:29-31; Ecclesiastes 1:1-11.  “Simple Faith” Solomon inherited a peaceful kingdom from his father David.  Early in his reign Solomon and his people enjoyed living in peace (1 Kings 4:24-25).  In all his wisdom, Solomon did not realize that the success of his Kingdom and the peace that he and his people enjoyed was dependent upon his obedience to the Lord.  As we read...  Read More

Song of Songs 1-8.  “Rejoice in the Wife of Your Youth” The theme for this week is simplicity.  This concept is brought out especially in the book of Ecclesiastes.  We are not looking at simplicity as the ultimate goal of life during this week, for bringing pleasure to God is our greatest purpose.  Rather, we are studying and thinking about simplicity because of the many connections that exist bet...  Read More

 The theme for this week is simplicity.  This concept is brought out especially in the book of Ecclesiastes.  We are not looking at simplicity as the ultimate goal of life during this week, for bringing pleasure to God is our greatest purpose.  Rather, we are studying and thinking about simplicity because of the many connections that exist between obediently following God, making wise decisions and living a simple life.    Read More

Proverbs 22:17-24:34. “Attaining Wisdom” Repeatedly we are told to listen to the words of direction, and apply our heart, and heed the teaching, and stay attune to instruction.  The emphasis would be hard to miss.“Apply your heart to instruction.”  Many times, I can rush by a phrase like that and miss out on some of its meaning.  I often need to slow down and acquire some clarity.  For example, t...  Read More

Proverbs 20-22:16. “Dangerous Business” I enjoy reading quotes by Will Rogers, a great social humorist.  One of his comments on chitchat was, “Live that you wouldn't be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.”In our society we have a lot of jokes and quips about gossip.  We’ve had various comic television series’ for years that have a character portraying a nosey neighbor or town go...  Read More

Proverbs 17-19.  “Parental Wisdom” I counted at least seven proverbs pertaining to children in these three chapters.  Several describe the pain a parent can experience when their child is on the road to folly.  A few others explain the benefits of discipline.  There was one, far more uplifting, although I believe a few teenagers would take exception, which read: “parents are the pride of their chi...  Read More

Proverbs 14-16.  “WQ” "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." –PlatoThere are definitely certain characteristics that make a statement.  As Solomon continues to describe the wise there are two words that stand out; “witness” and “work.”  “Witness” encompasses the qualities of the wise.  They are pleasant, gentle, thoughtful, careful, humble in...  Read More

Proverbs 11-13.  “Life-Giving Fruit” In today’s chapters wisdom is associated with humility; with one who listens to advice; with not making a show of knowledge; accepting parent’s discipline; giving good advice; and thinking before acting.As much as I enjoy the idea of elaborating on each of these, there is one characteristic of wisdom listed in chapter 11 that I enjoy more.  Verse 30 tells us th...  Read More

Proverbs 8-10.  “It’s More Than Brains” Wisdom is described in these chapters as that which; is Contrasted by immorality, folly and foolishness; Fears the LORD; Is excellent and right; Speaks truth and hates deception; Has good judgment; Knows where to discover knowledge and discernment; Hates pride, arrogance, corruption, perverted speech, and evil; Rewards with gifts better than pure gold; Was c...  Read More

Proverbs 5-7.  “Charming Deception”          I watched a documentary on the animals living in the arid deserts of Africa.  One of the predators was a snake.  In the big open desert it’s hard to chase something down to eat, so God provided this snake with a trick.  It buries itself, that is all but the tip of its tail.  The tail sticking up looks like a blade of grass.  A small curious (or hungry) ...  Read More

It is a joy to read the Proverbs. Sometimes you find yourself laughing at the candid way a proverb is written, and yet other times you find yourself stopping to consider the truth behind what was just shared.          A proverb is a short saying to express a truth. Therefore, it should not be surprising that in this week’s passage you will read the words “wisdom” or “wise” almost 100 times.  What is surprising is how wisdom is defined.  Read More

Proverbs 1-4. “Acquiring Wisdom” As a father of three children, I think often about the legacy that I am building within my own family.  Proverbs 4 provides us with some good lessons on how to build and leave a meaningful legacy.  This proverb demonstrates that wisdom is so interconnected with legacy building that, without it, we are in danger of leaving a negative or destructive legacy that will...  Read More

1 Kings 4:1-34; Psalms 72, 127.  “An Eternal Legacy” Solomon was a prolific writer.  1 Kings 4:32 tells us that he wrote 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs.  What a legacy, right?  Well, yes, that is until much of that was lost.  What we have remaining of Solomon’s writings is that which was inspired by God and was incorporated into the word of God.  So ultimately Solomon’s legacy was dependent upon t...  Read More

1 Kings 9:15-10:29; 2 Chronicles 1:14-17; 8:1-9:28.  “Legacy of Obedience” “The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself, and he must never send his people to Egypt to buy horses there, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’ The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will lead him away from the Lord.  And he must not accumulate vast amounts...  Read More

1 Kings 8:54-9:14; 2 Chronicles 7. “Legacy of a Father” Solomon received a great legacy from his father David and he had an opportunity to pass it on to his son Rehoboam but failed.  Here is a story about a father who chose to pass on a legacy:“I need you,” was all his wife had to say for the successful traveling evangelist to come home.  Their sixteen-year-old son was pushing his limits and his ...  Read More

1 Kings 8:1-53; 2 Chronicles 5-6.  “Messiah’s Temple” In part of Solomon’s address to the people of Israel, he refers to the Davidic covenant.  Solomon recognizes that he has fulfilled the portion of the covenant that says one of David’s descendants will build the Lord’s temple.  However, what Solomon did not know was that this prophetic statement in 2 Sam. 7:12-14 was not only fulfilled by Solomo...  Read More

1 Kings 7; 2 Chronicles 3:15-4:22.  “Temple vs. Palace” Solomon did many great things and was a good king for a while, but as you will discover from your reading this week, not everything he did was right.  In chapter 7 of 1 Kings we read the details of the palace compound that Solomon built for himself.  Now certainly the temple of the Lord was impressive, but the palace of the Forest of Lebanon ...  Read More

1 Kings 3:16-28; 5:1-6:38; 2 Chronicles 2:1-3:14.  “Temple Building” This week’s reading covers the early part of Solomon’s reign over Israel.  During this time Solomon accomplished many great things, leaving a tremendous legacy.  He built the temple and a massive palace compound in Jerusalem.  He also built storage cities and outposts for the defense of Israel.  Because of the legacy that Solomon...  Read More

 This week’s reading covers the early part of Solomon’s reign over Israel.  During this time Solomon accomplished many great things, leaving a tremendous legacy.  He built the temple and a massive palace compound in Jerusalem.  He also built storage cities and outposts for the defense of Israel.            Because of the legacy that Solomon left we are going to look at what it means to build a legacy.  A legacy is far more than what we accomplish in our careers.  It involves choices that we make and things that we value.  I hope that, through this week, you are encouraged to evaluate your life and the legacy that you are currently building and the legacy that you desire to leave.  Read More

1 Kings 2:13-3:15; 1 Chronicles 29:23-25; 2 Chronicles 1:1-13; Psalm 83. “Wheels of Justice” Justice is one of the topics addressed today.  The passages in Kings and Chronicles describe the justice Solomon laid forth.  His justice was fair and took into consideration the counsel of his father, David.  It was also necessary in order to prevent chaos from coming.  Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Tru...  Read More