DAY 3: Solomon Builds a Temple
The kings of old were real people. They had real thoughts, real struggles, and real experiences…just like we do. But there were still some parts of their culture that were quite different from ours. One of those differences, was regarding a place for God to live.
In the ancient world, people of all nations believed that the gods they worshiped truly lived in and around them. They would build temples for their gods, so their gods could live near them. They would carve idols for their gods, believing that a sliver of these gods lived within these idols.
Israel was to be different. In fact, God explicitly commanded them not make idols. But God did declare that if Solomon and His people kept His decrees and regulations, His presence would be with them always, and they would not be abandoned.
As you read today, consider this: God promised to be among His people forever. Today, He is not only among us, but living within all who have professed faith in Christ. How does this reality change the way you see God? How does it change the way you see yourself?
READING & JOURNALING:
1 KINGS 6:1-38, 8:12-21, 1 CORINTHIANS 3:16
How does the reality that God lives within you change the way you see God? How does it change the way you see yourself?
The people of God took tremendous care and concern in building and maintaining God’s temple. In what ways does God desire us to care for our bodies (a temple)? If possible, use Scripture verses to support your answer.
F260 READING: (A Scripture Reading Plan for Busy Believers)
Read: Genesis 31 & 32
Journal: Write it out. Following the pattern from 7 Arrows Page (click here) what did you learn from today’s reading?
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I confess that there are many days in which I function on my own strength, neglecting to remember that You aren’t just around me, but that You live within me. My prayer today is that this truth would penetrate deeply into my heart, so that I may better reflect You in every way. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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