Saturday, June 12, 2010

Nuggets - Day 163

Hi all,

I am going to work today, which is rare but am thankful for the extra money. :) "Be thankful IN all things. :)

Two things today jumped out to apply 1 Kings 20:42b Because you have spared the man I said must be destroyed.... How many times have I not followed God's instructions in correcting or rebuking or cutting myself away from someone and called it being merciful. So my apply on that would be "Follow God's instructions"

The second is 1 Kings 22:5 and 2 Chronicles 18:4 Then Jehosaphat added, "But first lets find out what the Lord says" I think that is how I should do everything in my life.

My Something New was Jehosaphats son marrying one of Ahabs daughters in 2 Chronicles 18:8

The other thing that caught my eye was 1 Kings 21:27-29
27 But when Ahab heard this message, he tore his clothing, dressed in burlap, and fasted. He even slept in burlap and went about in deep mourning.
28 Then another message from the Lord came to Elijah: 29 “Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has done this, I will not do what I promised during his lifetime. It will happen to his sons; I will destroy his dynasty.”

Even though Ahab would not see it, it would affect his children. So again it makes me realize how much what we do affects our descendants.

May you all have a Blessed and Peaceful Day.
Lynn

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

"But for David's Sake" - Day 160

Nothing we do can be done without somehow altering something or someone.

1 Kings 15:4a "But for David's sake", the LORD his God allowed his descendants to continue ruling,... (emphasis mine) then continue down to the next verse, verse 5 For David had done what was pleasing in the LORD's sight and had obeyed the LORD's commands through out his life, except in the affair concerning Uriah the Hittite.

Have you ever thrown a rock in a still pond or lake. The ripples go out a long way, and that's just on the surface where we can see. What does it do under the water. What change did it make to bottom of the lake. Each moment, Each decision we make changes something.

I looked up Legacy and Inheritance this is what I found:
Legacy - A gift by will especially of money or other personal property. Something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.
When we think of a will we think of a document that we write our wishes on to be carried out after we leave this world. However there is another "will" the free will that God gave us.
Inheritance - The reception of genetic qualities by transmission from parent to offspring. the acquisition of a possession, condition, or trait from past generations.
What trait am I passing on?

Solomon asked for wisdom and did wonderful things and God blessed him with great wealth. But God warned him about marrying foreign women.

1Kings 11:2-4 The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, ‘You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.’ Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. 3 He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord. 4 In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been.

1 Kings 11:11-13 So now the Lord said to him, “Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants. 12 But for the sake of your father, David, I will not do this while you are still alive. I will take the kingdom away from your son. 13 And even so, I will not take away the entire kingdom; I will let him be king of one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, my chosen city.” (emphasis mine)

Do you see that - Do you see the favor that David gained with God by following God's commands? Do you see the responsibility that we must take in leaving an inheritance for our descendants? What I do and don't do will create a ripple for generations to come. I'm not perfect, I have made lots of mistakes but, God has given me so much mercy when I've humbled myself.
2 Chron. 12:12a Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger was turned away....,

I want to be an example to my descendants, I want them to know I serve the one and only true God. (Believe me I tell them all the time) I want God to look at my descendants with mercy and be able to say "For the sake of my servant Lynn...."

Blessings,
Lynn