2nd Chronicles 3-5 What They Built

Solomon began to build the Temple.  For a building that was only 90’ by 30’ and three stories tall, it took a long time to build.  It was probably one of the most beautiful buildings ever constructed, and Solomon’s father, King David, had spent years and much of the nation’s wealth gathering the costly materials for construction.  Everything inside was covered in gold except for the large bronze washing bowl called The Sea and the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.  And there were upper rooms and side rooms that stored valuable treasures that had been given to pay for the operation of the Temple.

To me, there was one thing missing – the worshipers.  That curtain separated even the High Priest from God, except for the one day a year when he was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies.  The 60’x30’ main room of the Temple, called the Holy Place, was where the priests prepared to do their work.  People in that room could see the poles that protruded past the ends of the Ark of the Covenant inside the Holy of Holies, but no one outside could even see them while peeking in the door.  A Holy God was now among His people yet separated from them due to their sin.  And all they could do was look longingly from the outside and wonder and hope.

How much better WE have it!  Our High Priest is our God.  Because of His own sacrifice of Himself, we are no longer separated from Him.  Our sins are not merely covered over – they’ve been removed.  When He made that sacrifice, the curtain separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple was ripped from top to bottom – from 30’ in the air – something only God could have done.

We don’t have to travel to one building in one city in one country to be near Him – He is residing in our hearts!

What a shame, Father, that all of that wealth could not do what the drops of Your Son’s blood could – bring me near to you.  Thank You for the most extravagant gift of all!

Your Brother In Christ

2 Chronicles 1 & 2 -- Coming To God Without A Wishlist

Solomon was at a place and time where he felt totally inadequate.  His father David had made him king and died.  Now it was Solomon’s time to rule.  He knew that he lacked experience.  He knew he needed God’s help.  And God gave him the perfect opportunity to ask.

God appeared to Solomon at night, after Solomon had offered a thousand burnt offerings at Gibeon.  God offered to give him anything.  Solomon wisely asked for wisdom to rule his people.

My Bible’s sidebar, by Max Lucado, said, “To know God’s will, we must totally surrender to God’s will.  Our tendency is to make God’s decisions for Him … Don’t go to God with options and expect Him to choose one of your preferences.  Go to Him with empty hands – no hidden agendas, no crossed fingers, nothing behind your back.  Go to Him with a willingness to do whatever He says.  If you surrender your will, then He will equip you with everything good for doing HIS will.  It’s a promise.”

Father God, I want You to be in control, not me.  I love the way You surprise me when I do come to You with empty hands.  I love You and trust You, Father.  Open my heart to all You still want to do in my life.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Hebrews 13 -- Wrapping It All Up

There are six things we’re told to keep doing in this chapter:

1)      Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters

2)      Welcome strangers

3)      Remember imprisoned believers

4)      Remember suffering believers

5)      Honor marriage by committing no sexual sins

6)      Keep our lives free from the love of money

But also, we should tattoo on our hearts two Old Testament verses:

“I will never leave you; I will never forget you.”  (Deut 31:6)

“I will not be afraid, because the Lord is my helper.  People can’t do anything to me.”  (Psalm 118:6)

The author also prays a very suitable prayer for us today:  “I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing you need so you can do what He wants.”

This pretty well sums up what we have in Christ.  Help me to take it all to heart, Father, and to make it an indisputable part of who I am.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Hebrews 12 -- Accepting What He Said About Faith, Then ....

Having built us up in the last chapter to have faith in God no matter what, the writer of Hebrews now seems to say, “Let’s see what happens when you walk through those dark times.”

Last night I watched as many athletes ran in their first track meet of the year.  Toward the end, it had gotten dark and quite cold.  A stiff north wind was blowing.  Some had already pushed themselves in previous races.  Many looked with dread on what they were about to have to endure.

“So let us run the race that is before us and never give up.  We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back … Think about Jesus’ example.  He held on while wicked people were doing evil things to Him.  So do not get tired and stop trying.”

We’re not promised a bed of roses.  There are still tough times ahead.  But it’s in those times that God trains us and teaches us to hope, and He exercises our faith to develop it even further.

Our faith is what allows us to accept what’s coming without defeat.  We see it as a bump in the road, not an overwhelming obstacle.  And we begin to know that through Christ, all things are truly possible.

Father, let my faith not be shaken by a bump in the road.  Remind me of how you are enlarging my faith by stretching me through tough times.  That’s where spiritual growth occurs.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Hebrews 11 -- Teaching The Hebrews Something They'd Missed

The writer of Hebrews now wants to show his Jewish audience something they’ve apparently missed for centuries.  They’d read the stories, and they’d been taught them since they were young.

Abel was good, but what had he gotten for it?  Sure, there were men like Enoch who pleased God and didn’t die, and Noah, who listened to God and lived.

They seemed to have fixated, though, on Abraham being called out and given the land (even though he never really received it and didn’t see all the descendants God had promised would live on it.  They seemed to only care that they’d maintained their genealogy records so that they could lay claim to the land, and they also somehow believed that being Abraham’s descendant was going to guarantee future blessings for them, as well as a piece of that land.

But the writer tells quite a different story – Abel didn’t lose.  Enoch’s belief did make a difference.  Noah’s belief did, too.  And it wasn’t about being Abraham’s physical descendant, but his spiritual apprentice.  I wasn’t as much about what God did for Israel as it was about what Israel believed about God.

Perhaps the telling verse is verse 39:  “All these people are known for their faith, but none of them received what God had promised.”  That statement wasn’t saying anything bad about God.  Instead, we have to go back to verse 13 for the answer:  “All these great people died in faith.  They did not get the things that God promised His people, but they saw them coming far in the future and were GLAD.”

Their happiness came from having seen God at work in their lives and knowing He was using them to fulfill His plan.  They were happy enough to have been given a part.  And their faith told them that centuries later what they had believed about God and acted upon as a result of that faith would have made a difference, not only in their own lives, but in the lives of countless others as well.

Father, for me, too, it will be enough to know that I trusted You fully in this life, despite all outcomes, knowing in my heart that You have Your absolute best planned for me, even despite my sins.  It’s not about this world and what happens here in the long run, Father.  I know that.  Despite everything, it’s enough to know You love me and want me beside You for eternity!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Hebrews 10 -- The Unimaginable Now Real

Again speaking to fellow Jews, the writer of Hebrews evokes images that they’ve only heard about but have never seen – the high priest going into the Temple, approaching the curtain that separates the Holy of Holies (where God was said to reside) from the rest of the Temple.  On that one day a year when he was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, he did so with a rope tied around him in case God found displeasure with him and struck him down.  Other priests would then be able to pull his body out of God’s presence.  They were accustomed to the fact that even their high priest might be inadequate.

Yet with Christ, he says in verse 19, “we are completely free to enter the Most Holy Place without fear because of the blood of Jesus’ death.  We can enter through a new and living way that Jesus opened for us.  It leads through the curtain – Christ’s body.  And since we have a great priest over God’s house, let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, because we have been made free from a guilty conscience…”  Something unimaginable for them is now within reach, but only through the blood of Jesus.

Father, thank You for adopting me into Your family, for picking me up, dusting me off, cleaning me up, and giving me the inheritance of a child of Yours.  That is beyond imagining, yet it is real!  I love You!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Hebrews 9 -- The Ultimate

The Day of Atonement was not what most of us think it was.  When the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies and offered a blood sacrifice, sins weren’t REMOVED.  They were covered over.  And every year on that day, the people’s consciences were again pricked, as they were reminded yet again of additional covering up of their sins being needed – and not every sin was covered over.  Verse 7 says, “ … and for sins the people did without knowing they did them.”  There was no offering that could be made, and no prayer that could be offered to remove intentional sins, until Christ came.  Consciences weren’t cleared of the guilt of sin, either.  Not until Christ came, and He didn’t just cover them over – He removed them as far as the east is from the west … to the ocean floor.

Father, thank you for such love, such forgiveness, and such a Savior!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford