A still small voice

Is this all that there is? or Is there more? The question of God keeps on coming back to us. It will not go away. If there is no God, what are we left with? Without God, we go through life, wondering "What's this all about?" We do our best to make it sense of …

1 Kings 14-19

1 Kings 14:1-15:8 - It makes depressing reading - a lot of bad news from the north (16), a lot of bad news from the south (22). Many people wondered, ‘Will there be peace in my lifetime?’. Sadly, the hostilities continued for a very long time (15:6). Were there no glimmers of hope? Was there …

The Servant King

“My servant David” (1 Kings 11:34,38)David became a king. He remained a servant. He points us forward to Jesus – “the Servant King” (Graham Kendrick). ”… Jerusalem, the city where I chose to place My Name” (1 Kings 11:36).Jerusalem is called the Holy City. It’s not so much Jerusalem that’s holy. It’s the Name of the …

It’s time for making your mind up.

Elijah went before the people and said, ‘How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him’ (1 Kings 18:21). No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money …

Life’s ups and downs

At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and …

When the Spirit of the Lord comes in power (Travelling Through God’s Word: 1 and 2 Kings)

1 and 2 Kings "The God who answers by fire, he is God" (1 Kings 18:24). "The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha" (2 Kings 2:15). As we read about the fire of God, coming down from heaven, our thoughts may forward to the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost: …

Link to “The Building and Dedication of the Temple (1 Kings 5-8)”

The Building and Dedication of the Temple (1 Kings 5-8)

Walking in the Light of God’s Love, Truth and Holiness

"You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light" (Psalm 18:28). Without You, Lord, we're stumbling around in the dark. With You, we're walking in the light - the light of Your love, the light of Your truth, the light of Your holiness. "As for God, His way is perfect" (Psalm 18:30). …

No person or place is more important than the Lord.

1 Kings 8:14-53 The person who leads us in worship, the place where we worship or the God whom we worship - Which is the most important? We know what our answer should be. No person or place is more important than the Lord. Often, we take our eyes off the Lord. Solomon directs our …

A Word Of Hope From The God of Hope

1 Kings 14:1-15:8 It makes depressing reading - a lot of bad news from the north (16), a lot of bad news from the south (22). Many people wondered, ‘Will there be peace in my lifetime?’. Sadly, the hostilities continued for a very long time (15:6). Were there no glimmers of hope? Was there no …

The Word of the Lord from your mouth

“Now I’m convinced that you are a man of God and that the Word of the Lord from your mouth is true” (1 Kings 17:24). “the Word of the Lord from your mouth”: What a  privilege this is! – God gives us His Word to speak for Him. What a responsibility it is! – May God …

What, Lord, is most important to us – the person who leads us in worship, the place where we worship, or the God whom we worship?

Praying through God's Word: 1 Kings 8:14-53 What, Lord, is most important to us – the person who leads us in worship, the place where we worship, or the God whom we worship? We know what our answer should be – but, often, our lives tell a very different story. Help us, when we worship, …

The glory of the Lord

1 Kings 8:22-9:9; Acts 14:8-28; Proverbs 15:11-20 The majesty of the Temple was not merely human. The glory belonged to the Lord. His glory would be among His people, as they honoured Him by doing His will. The servants of the Lord must always say, "we are only men ... We are bringing you Good News, …

What Kind Of Person Are You Becoming?

1 Kings 6:14-7:12 Solomon took seven years to build ‘the House of the Lord’ and ‘thirteen years’ to build ‘his own house’(6:37-7:1)! What are we to make of this? Are we more concerned with pleasing ourselves or serving God? Is our life more self-centred than God-centred? These are important questions. They are questions which we …

Lord, Your Word seems so simple – but we don’t always listen to what You’re saying to us!

1 Kings 11:14-12:24 “Do not go up to fight against your brothers” (1 Kings 12:24). Lord, Your Word seems so simple – but we don’t always listen to what You’re saying to us! Less ‘This is what I think’ and more ‘What is the Lord saying to me?” – that’s what we need. Help us, …

Jesus Came To Give Us Abundant Life.

1 Kings 4:1-34 ‘God gave Solomon wisdom’(29). Solomon shared this wisdom with others (32-34). Christ is ‘our Wisdom’(1 Corinthians 1:30). Don’t keep Him to yourself. You may not know much about ‘trees… beasts… birds… reptiles… fish’(33). If you know Jesus, you know all that you really need to know! You can live a happy life …

A greater fulfilment

1 Kings 6:1-7:22; Acts 13:13-41; Psalm 75:1-10 In the reign of Solomon, God fulfilled His promise to David (1 Kings 6:11-13). There is, however, a greater fulfilment: "From David's descendants God has brought to Israel the Saviour Jesus, as He promised" (Acts 13:23). When we consider what God has done, we say, with the Psalmist, …

Wisdom and salvation

1 Kings 3:16-5:18; Acts 12:19b-13:12; Psalm 74:18-23 "God gave Solomon wisdom" (1 Kings 4:29). When wisdom is recognized as God-given, the people of God say, "Praise be to the Lord today" (1 Kings 5:7). True ministry, which promotes "wisdom unto salvation", is based on the prompting of the Spirit and leads to the proclamation of …

God calls all nations to worship Him.

1 Kings 7:23-8:21; Acts 13:42-14:7; Psalm 76:1-12 The Temple is built. The glory goes to God: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel" (1 Kings 8:15). God's purpose was not, however, to be limited to Israel: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the …

Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ

1 Kings 9:10-11:13; Acts 15:1-21; Psalm 77:1-9 "We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved" (Acts 15:11). Once we have been saved, we are to live a godly life (Acts 15:20). This is the way in which God's blessing is to remain and increase in our lives (1 …

Is Your Heart Fully Devoted To The Lord Your God?

1 Kings 10:1-11:13 ‘King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth’(23). It sounds impressive - until you look more closely at Solomon’s life! What else does God’s Word tell us about him? - ‘His heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God… Solomon did evil …

What Is The Lord Saying?

1 Kings 11:14-12:24 Life can be a very slippery slope. You can go downhill very quickly - if you’re not careful! Solomon let things slide - and he was never the same again. He fell - and he never got back up again. After he died, there was ‘rebellion’- and it lasted for a long …

Jesus Comes First!

1 Kings 3:1-28 Solomon was a complicated man. We wonder what was most important to him - his alliances with the world or his allegiance to the Lord, ‘building his own house’ or ‘building the House of the Lord’(1-3)? In verses 9-13, we learn that Solomon prized wisdom more than riches. In verse 14, Solomon …

True wisdom

1 Kings 2:13-3:15; Acts 11:19-12:19a; Proverbs 15:1-10 Solomon asked for wisdom – “a discerning heart to govern Your people and to distinguish between right and wrong” (1 Kings 3:9). “The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this” (1 Kings 3:10). In Acts 11:24, Barnabas is described as “a good man, full of the …

Building On Christ

“Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgments, keep all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My Word with you, which I spoke to your father David” (1 Kings 6:12). Building a temple for God means nothing if it isn’t accompanied by building …

God gives us His wisdom – holy wisdom.

Solomon was a wise man. His wisdom came from God: “He possessed wisdom from God”, “God gave Solomon wisdom” (1 Kings 3:28; 1 Kings 4:29). The work done by the king required wisdom. The gift of wisdom is to be received with praise to God: “May the Lord be praised today: He has given David …

We live in our present. God is calling us on to His future.

1 Kings 12 tells us about Rehoboam (verses 1-19) and Jeroboam (verses 20-33). God was looking beyond both of these men. He was looking ahead to the reign of King Josiah (1 Kings 13:2). For the fulfilment of this prophecy, we must look on to 2 Kings 23:15-20. God is always ahead of us. We …

A dwelling place of God in the Spirit: That’s what you are!

1 Kings 5:1-6:13  -  Do you ‘rejoice greatly’ when you hear the Word of the Lord (5:7)? God wants to ‘establish His Word’ among us (6:12). He wants to establish His presence among us. He is ‘the Word made flesh’. He ‘dwells among us, full of grace and truth’. He is ‘Emmanuel’ - ‘God with …

Do you want to experience God’s glory? Honour His Word. Love His Son – the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Kings 7:13-8:13  -  We read about ‘the silver’ and ‘the gold’. We are called to choose between the life of fruitful service - ‘gold, silver, precious stones’ - and the unfruitful life - ‘wood, hay, straw’ (51; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15). We read of  ‘the ark of the covenant of the Lord’ being ‘brought to …

When it seems like we’re losing our way, let us pray that we will be given the strength that we need to keep our eyes on the Lord.

1 Kings 10:1-11:13  -  ‘King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth’ (23). It sounds impressive - until you look more closely at Solomon’s life! What else does God’s Word tell us about him? - ‘His heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God… Solomon …

These were dark days for God’s people, but God was planning for a better future.

1 Kings 12:25-13:34  -  These were dark days for God’s people. They were deeply divided. There was the northern kingdom (Israel). Jeroboam was their ‘big man’. There was the southern kingdom (Judah). Rehoboam was the ‘voice’ of the south. What a shambles it all was! Each side seemed intent on outdoing the other - ungodliness. …

When it seems like there’s nothing but bad news, God speaks His Word of hope.

1 Kings 14:1-15:8  -  It makes depressing reading - a lot of bad news from the north (16), a lot of bad news from the south (22). Many people wondered, ‘Will there be peace in my lifetime?’ Sadly, the hostilities continued for a very long time (15:6). Were there no glimmers of hope? Was there …

When things were getting desperate, God sent His prophet, a man who would stand up for Him.

1 Kings 16:29-18:16  -  Things were getting desperate: ‘Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him’ (33). What did God do about this? How did He respond to this situation? God sent His prophet, a man who would stand up …

The mercy of God

1 Kings 21:1-22:14  -  We read of human sin and divine judgment (21:1-4,15-16,20-24). There is also something else here: the mercy of God - ‘Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days…’(29). The judgment of God will come - but not yet. It is held back by …

Our strength is not in ourselves. It is in the Lord.

1 Kings 20:1-43  -  Sometimes we say, ‘I can’t’, when we mean, ‘I won’t’! We are ‘busy here and there’ - too busy for God, for doing His will, for obeying His Word. Is this a case of ‘I can’t’? No! It is ‘I won’t’. We choose. We decide how we will use our time. …

Will it be love for the Lord or love for the world?

1 Kings 3:1-28  -  Solomon was a complicated man. We wonder what was most important to him - his alliances with the world or his allegiance to the Lord, ‘building his own house’ or ‘building the House of the Lord’ (1-3)? In verses 9-13, we learn that Solomon prized wisdom more than riches. In verse …

In all the changes of life, we must learn to say, “Blessed be the Lord.”

1 Kings 1:1-53  -  David’s reign was coming to an end. He would be replaced by Solomon (30). No one goes on forever. Every day takes us one day closer to the day of stepping down and handing over to someone else. We must pray that the future will be ‘greater’ than the past (37,47). …

When the enemy shall come in like a flood

1 Kings 16:29-18:16 Things were getting desperate: ‘Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him’ (1 Kings 16:33). What did God do about this? How did He respond to this situation? God sent His prophet, a man who would stand …

A Spiritual Journey (9): 1 Kings 18

This is the ninth post in a series of ten posts. Here, we see the triumph of the Lord over Baal: “the fire of the Lord fell… ” (verse 38). We read about this, and we are encouraged. We remember Jesus’ disciples at the time of his crucifixion. It looked like it was all over, …

1 Kings

1 KINGS 1:1-53  –  David’s reign was coming to an end. He would be replaced by Solomon (30). No one goes on forever. Every day takes us one day closer to the day of stepping down and handing over to someone else. We must pray that the future will be ‘greater’ than the past (37,47). …

Do we give the Lord lip-service? or Do we serve Him with our lives?

"The Lord also called to the man of God. He said, “This is what the Lord says: You rebelled against the words from the Lord’s mouth and didn’t obey the command that the Lord your God gave you ... A lion found him as he travelled on the road and killed him" (1 Kings 13:21, …

God’s Love Is Unchanged, Unchanging And Unchangeable.

1 Kings 18:17-19:21 Life is full of ups and downs. For Elijah, there was a very high point. He prayed. ‘The fire of the Lord fell’. ‘All the people said, ‘The Lord, He is God’’(37-39). This was followed by a very low point: ‘O Lord, take away my life’(4). We are so changeable. Often, we …

What is happening when we are gathered together for worship?

1 Kings 8:54-9:28 What is happening when we are gathered together for worship? Is this merely a human thing, something which we do? No! - There is something more. God is at work. He is there to ‘incline our hearts to Him…’(58). Before we have gathered, God is there, waiting for us, ready to speak …

The Great Conflict Between God And Satan – Never Doubt The Final Outcome!

“Now the Lord has put a lying spirit into the mouths of all these prophets” (1 Kings 22:23). While we believe that God is working out His good purpose – “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28), we must remember that history tells the …

The Lord Is King.

As we read about various kings, there is something that we must never forget - the Lord is King. He is King of all kings. Over all kings, there is One who reigns supreme. The Lord reigns. His reign is greater than any earthly king. He is the King of heaven. There is no other …

Lord, which is most important to us – pleasing ourselves or serving You?

1 Kings 6:14-7:12 We read about Solomon – he built “his own house”, and he built “the House of the Lord” (1 Kings 6:37-7:1). Which was the most important to him? Which is most important to us – pleasing ourselves or serving You? Help us, Lord, not to be “lovers of self, lovers of money, …

God’s purpose is moving forward.

1 Kings 1:1-2:12; Acts 10:23b-11:18; Psalm 74:10-17 God’s purpose does not stand still. It moves forward. “So Solomon sat on the throne of his father, David, and his rule was firmly established” (1 Kings 2:12). “The circumcised believers … were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the …

We need to remember the Lord.

"Who is able to govern this great people of yours?" (1 Kings 3:9). The king was called to be more than a political leader. He was called to be a spiritual leader. To be a spiritual leader, he needed to remember that the people of Israel were God's people. Sometimes people say, "Everything is politics." …

In dependence on divine grace

1 Kings 11:14-12:24; Acts 15:22-41; Psalm 77:10-20 "They obeyed the Word of the Lord" (1 Kings 12:24). They were "commended ... to the grace of the Lord" (Acts 15:40). Obedience to the Word of the Lord and being commended to the grace of God  - these two things belong together. We can only promise obedience …

When Christ is preached, the Lord opens the hearts of men and women to respond to Him.

1 Kings 12:25-14:20; Acts 16:1-15; Psalm 78:1-8 "The Lord will raise up for Himself a king over Israel" (1 Kings 14:14). There was much "sin" among God's people (1 Kings 13:33-34). God did not abandon His purpose of salvation. His saving purpose finds its fulfilment in Christ. He is the Gospel ("Good News") which God has …

Hearing The Word of God And Doing The Will Of God

"The Lord also called to the man of God. He said, “This is what the Lord says: You rebelled against the words from the Lord’s mouth and didn’t obey the command that the Lord your God gave you ... A lion found him as he traveled on the road and killed him" (1 Kings 13:21, …

Have the people been brought closer to the Lord?

1 Kings 1-4 1:1-53 - David’s reign was coming to an end. He would be replaced by Solomon (30). No one goes on forever. Every day takes us one day closer to the day of stepping down and handing over to someone else. We must pray that the future will be ‘greater’ than the past …

Praying to God, thanking Him, living for Him and working for Him

Solomon prays (1 Kings 8:22-53). The Lord answers Solomon’s prayer (1 Kings 9:3-9). We must seek the blessing of God. Without His blessing, all our efforts are fruitless. When our work is “in the Lord”, it is “not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Together with work, there needs to be prayer. We are to look …

What must I do to be saved?

1 Kings 14:21-16:7; Acts 16:16-40; Proverbs 15:21-30 The history of the kings was, for the most part, a history of rebellion against God. So few were asking the question: "What must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30). God has given His answer to this question: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be …

There Is No God Like The Lord.

“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below—You who keep Your covenant of love with Your servants who continue wholeheartedly in Your way. You have kept Your promise to Your servant David my father; with Your mouth You have promised and with Your hand You …

The Lord has sent His Spirit of power to live in us.

We read about Elijah in his high-points of strength - the triumph over the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:36-39) - and his low-points of weakness - he is ready to give up: “I’ve had enough now, Lord” (1 Kings 19:4). How did Elijah get into such a mess? He forgot this: “The Lord’s power …

Led in the way of victory

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost: Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28; Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b or 1 Kings 19:9-18; Psalm 85:8-13; Romans 10:5-15; Matthew 14:22-33 Strengthened by the Lord, we are led in the way of victory. In the story of Joseph, we see human sin and divine grace. We see jealousy (Genesis 37:11) and its effects: ‘where jealousy …

Our strength is not in ourselves. It is in the Lord.

1 Kings 20:1-43 Sometimes we say, ‘I can’t’, when we mean, ‘I won’t’! We are ‘busy here and there’- too busy for God, for doing His will, for obeying His Word. Is this a case of ‘I can’t’? No! It is ‘I won’t’. We choose. We decide how we will use our time. God looks …

Trust in the Lord. He is working in us to do us good.

Tenth Sunday after Pentecost: Genesis 29:15-28; Psalm 105:1-11, 45b (or Psalm 128) or 1 Kings 3:5-12; Psalm 119:129-136; Romans 8:26-39; Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 Trust in the Lord. He is working in us to do us good. The tables are turned on Jacob. The trickster is tricked! The ‘trick’ was according to the ‘custom’ that the …

Make me a channel of Your peace.

Kings and queens, prime ministers and presidents - what are we to say about them? Some say, "This one's good - and that one's not so good." Others say, "No! It's the other way round." No -one seems to be agree about what makes a good king, a good queen, a good prime minister, a …