From Failure to Faithful

O. T. #772  "From Failure to Faithful"
June 13, 2016
1 Kings 8-Part 5


LET IT GLOW

Boy, do I fail. Are you with me? I had a couple of serious situations come at me this past week. The devil really stirred up things really good in my life and family. And I fell right into the trap. I went through the gamete of emotions-from anger, determination to have my way, hatefulness, unforgiveness, disappointment, to insignificance, giving up, brokenness, etc.
Then God picked me up like dirt on the ground and put me together like He did Adam at his creation. He dusted me off and cleansed my heart, set me back on the right road of faith again. Folks, God's love is always, always available. He has a forgiving Spirit. His promises are true. He took me from failure to faithful. He doesn't give up on us. Solomon knew all of that and so do I.

In the first part of this chapter we read of Solomon's prayer praising God and for the people of Israel. Now he gave a benediction in which he recapped his preceding prayer. In verse 56, Solomon affirmed God's faithfulness: Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises He gave through His servant Moses.

Friends, God's Word never fails to be true and He does not fail to be faithful.

Solomon added, May God give us the desire to do His will in everything and to obey all the commands, decrees, and regulations that He gave our ancestors.

If our desires have changed and we are not desiring to do God's will in everything, we need to ask for a changed desire. If we do not desire to obey all His instructions, we need to ask for those desires to be changed. After all, God will give us His desires. This is what I had to do. I had given up.

Like Solomon challenged Israel in verse 61, so may I challenge you (as well as me): May we be completely faithful to the LORD our God. 

The King James Version uses the word perfect instead of complete, as New Living Translation uses in this verse. Perfect in the Hebrew language as used here means complete, whole, just.

The question here is, "Are we faithful to the LORD our God?"
Are we trusting in Jesus with everything? It's a new day. I can gladly tell you that we are walking on my country road of faith again.

LET IT GROW

The result of Israel's faithfulness brings us to the major theme of OT missions-that all the peoples of the earth may know that Yahweh is God. with these words Solomon mad a worldwide missions proclamation. (Holman Illustrated Bible Commentary)

Solomon exhorted Israel to be faithful to the Lord Jesus, and so do I. Sure we fail, sin, fall down, but He is always there to pick us up and we try again. There are children, youth, and adults who need to hear about the love and forgiveness of God. He wants to use you and me to tell them about it.
If our God is for us, who can be against us or what can stand against us?

After the dedication of the new Temple, the sacrifices, the celebration of Festival of Shelters, the people blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad because the LORD had been good to His servant David and to His people Israel. (verse 66)

LET IT GO

                               ... and turn to God.
                               ... and repent of my sins and failures, turning away from those attitudes that
                                    brought me down.
                               ... and remember that God is faithful, His Word is true, and He never fails.
                               ... and become a faithful servant of Jesus again today.
                               ... and ask God for joy and gladness of heart.