By The Word Of The Lord

“And he said, I cannot return with you nor go in with you; neither can I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place. For I have been told by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.'”  1 Kings 13:17

“He said to him, ‘I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, “Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.'”  But he lied to him.”  1 Kings 13:18

Otherwise good and godly people can ask us to do things that just aren’t right for us.

Lord, I pray to want for others what You want for them and have asked them to do.  And here’s a simple poem . . .

What You Want

Lord, if I detain
someone for me
when they are on
a mission for You

please quicken my heart
to let them go
to do what You
want them to.

Being A Servant

“And they spoke to him, saying, ‘If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.'”  1 Kings 12:7

“But he rejected the counsel which the elders gave him . . .”  1 Kings 12:8

Jesus came feeding and washing and speaking good words.

Lord, I ask for a servant’s heart today that might lead others to serve You forever too.  And here’s a simple poem . . .

You Serve Me

My Lord, how You serve me
and take away my filth
You wash me and lift me
and stand me on a hill.

So now how can I not
give my very best for You
serving with all my heart
just as I’ve seen You do.

In Love

“But King Solomon loved many foreign women . . .from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you.  For surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.’  Solomon clung to these in love.”  1 Kings 11:1-2

Love is always a good thing, right?

Lord, show me what I love today that will turn my heart away from You.  And here’s a simple poem . . .

Above and Beyond

So much to love
in this life

our children, our friends
our husbands, our wives

all special blessings
sent by our God

oh, but to love Him
above and beyond.

All The Earth Seeks Him

“And all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.”  1 Kings 10:24

All the earth seeks the presence of God, though they may not realize it.

Lord, how we long to be in Your Presence and hear Your wisdom and truth this day.  And here’s a simple poem . . .

Just Because

I want to stay in Your Presence
and never ever leave
just because You are You
and You are what I need.

No problem matters any more
all trouble has to flee
any fractures that have begun
are mended by Your Peace.

Good For Nothing?

“Now it happened at the end of twenty years, . . .that King Solomon then gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.”  1 Kings 9:10-11

“Then Hiram went from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him, but they did not please him.” 1 Kings 9:12

“So he said, ‘What kind of cities are these which you have given me, my brother?’  And he called them the land of Cabul ( Good for nothing ), as they are to this day.”  1 Kings 9:13

Another Gift would come out of the area of Galilee.

Lord, let us receive with thankfulness and joy the Gift You give . . .Jesus Christ Your Son.  And here’s a simple poem . . .

Nothing But Good

Nothing but good
is all that He’s done

Holy and Righteous
is where He is from

humbly and purely
to us He’s come

perfectly wonderful
Jesus, God’s Son.

Uncontained Glory

“. . .for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.” 1 Kings 8:11

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth?  Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You.  How much less this temple which I have built.”  1 Kings 8:27

God would indeed dwell on the earth and fill it with His glory.

Lord, thank You for coming to dwell in such a lowly fragile frame as ours and filling us with the glory of Your Holy Spirit.  And here is a simple poem . . .

Glory Filled

What can contain You
where can You dwell

if heaven is too small
surely we are as well

yet another one of
those mysteries of Yours

how You can live inside us
and make Your glory ours.

Window Upon Window

“There were windows with beveled frames in three rows, and window was opposite window in three tiers.” 1 Kings 7:4

King Solomon was a wise and understanding man. It makes sense he’d want windows to let in light and to help him better see.

Lord, thank You for allowing us to see You and each other through the window of Your Word.  And here’s a simple poem . . .

Window Additions

Layer upon layer
the Word adds to our life

windows to see through
that let in the light

a warmth penetrates
from the Son’s constant gaze

protecting us from evil
all of our days.

No Hammer Heard

“And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.”  1 Kings 6:7

Usually when things get quiet, we think the work has stopped.

Lord, thank You for the quiet steady work of Your Holy Spirit in us. And here’s a simple poem . . .

Temple Building

I’m under construction
God is working in me
though I feel like a mess
He continues patiently
building and adding on
never stopping what He’s begun
a Holy Spirit made temple
of worship for His Son.

Large, Costly and Hewn

“And the king commanded them to quarry large stones, costly stones, and hewn stones, to lay the foundation of the temple.”  1 Kings 5:17

Our foundation was lain with the most costly Stone of all.

Thank You, Jesus, for being our precious Cornerstone.  And here’s a simple poem . . .

Our Sure Foundation

Solomon planned so carefully
the temple he would build

David’s desire for the Lord’s house
his son would fulfill

just as God’s own Son
builds His temple now in us

the perfectly hewn and established
foundation of  Christ Jesus.

Largeness Of Heart

“And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.”  1 Kings 4:29

This sounds like a heart condition that I wouldn’t mind having. 🙂

Oh Lord, please grow my heart for You and others today.  And here’s a simple poem . . .

A Heart That Grows

A heart that beats with mercy
and flows with His grace

that doesn’t shrink or pull back
from what it’s asked to face

one that grows in love
toward God and others each day

a heart that outweighs my fears
is what I ask and pray.