KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Monday, May 29, 2017
Chapters: I Kings 1-2 Psalms 37, 71,94
Message: Resisting Compromise
Hello My Friend,
The book of I Kings contains twenty-two chapters, the author of the book is Jeremiah and it was written to the Israelites. The timeline for these events took place approximately 1015 BC to 897 BC. The purpose of the book was to record God’s dealings with His people from King Solomon, through the division of Israel, and the reigns of Ahab and Jehoshaphat. What we are to learn from the book is that compromise always comes with a cost. “Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.” – I Kings 11:11.
I Kings goes into more detail about the events that took place before David died and Solomon would be made king, Adonijah, David’s eldest son, and also Absalom’s brother, took it upon himself to make himself king, even getting Joab to side with him, fully knowing that it was Solomon who would become king.
“Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom. And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not. Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not? Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.” – I Kings 1:1-5,10-12.
“that thou mayest save thine own life,” As Christians, we somehow convince ourselves that we are not allowed to fight, that we should just sit back, pray about it, and hope for the best when faced with that go against God’s Word. Of course, we need to pray, but there is also time to fight. Why do you think our nations are turning into a disaster? Christians are living in fear of facing prosecution. Let me tell you, we are going to face prosecution no matter what we do, there is only one option, trust God, and follow His instructions.
“A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.” – Psalm 37:1-6.
“and he shall bring it to pass.” I get it, there is nothing more unnerving than being falsely accused or judged because of your beliefs, especially when you do not agree with the world or refuse to bow down to their threats. True Christians do not judge, they make the right judgment, not on the person, but on the matter, and God will handle it. For example, the distribution of alcohol, a Christian must make the right judgment based upon their own conscious whether or not they choose to distribute alcohol, fully knowing that God specifies no alcohol, if we give it to people we would be encouraging them to sin. Do we judge another Christian for making the choice to give out alcohol? No. We deal with our own lives and let them deal with theirs. It is little decisions like these that make the biggest impact. Why? It opens the door for allowing us to not only condone sin, but be a part of it. We are to do everything we can to keep the peace without compromising our faith, and give it to God.
“O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help. Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt. But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more. My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof. I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.” – Psalm 71:12-18.
“for I know not the numbers thereof.” God blesses us tremendously when we choose to live by faith rather than compromise, so much so that we could never count them all. Solomon wasted no time, he did exactly what his father told him to do, at least in the beginning of his reign. People think that they can live a secret life and that their wicked ways in how they became great goes unnoticed, but someone is always watching. Joab’s past caught up to him, he and all the men that conspired to make Adonijah king, except for the priest were executed.
“So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him. And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me. And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father. And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.” – I Kings 2:27-32.
“Do as he hath said, and fall upon him,” God has made each and every one of us for a purpose, and when He appoints us for something there is no one who can stand in His way. God is always with us when we choose His ways, even when we are not, He is merciful to forgive us and help us out of our troubles when we come to Him. We cannot always avoid confrontation, and we cannot always get out of facing prosecution for standing by our beliefs, but we can always trust God, He will take care of us, He will lead and guide us, and He will comfort us.
“Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood. But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge. And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.” – Psalm 94:17-23.
“thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.” We must understand something, when we belong to Christ, while we are not without sin, He will keep us from living in sin. Sometimes we may fall, and even dangle on the edge of sin, but His mercy holds us up. By His grace we are saved, and by His grace we shall live, even if we fall. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.” – Psalm 37:23-28.
Jesus Christ Magnified: Today, Jesus is revealed as the one who is our strength in the time of trouble (Ps 37:39). Jesus is always our strength in the time of trouble, whether it is self inflicted or of not fault of our own. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” – Philippians 4:13.
Today’s Prayer: God, You have appointed all of us for some purpose, may we be used to be a testimony of the life You have given us through Your Son, and not an example of what happens if we are not. You are my life, I am nothing apart from You, I do not want riches or fame, all I want is to know Your will for my life and how I am to obtain that. Lord, lead me and guide me, give me Your power to walk with You everywhere I go, give me wisdom and understanding on how to make the right decisions and judgment of people, give me the strength I need to do what You have appointed me to do, and let me not be forced to compromise my faith for the sake of pleasing the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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