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1 Kings
3:5-14 Solomon’s prayer for understanding
Colossians 3:12-17 Duties of the Christian life
John 6:41-47 Bread from heaven
When Solomon had become King after the death of his father David, the
Lord appeared to him in a dream at night, and asked Solomon what he
wanted the Lord to do for him. Solomon asked for an understanding
mind to govern
his people well. The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked
unselfishly for what he needed in order to accomplish God’s call upon
him, rather than for wealth or fame for himself, so the Lord gave him a
wise and discerning mind, and he also gave Solomon what he had not
asked for: riches and honor. The Lord also promised to lengthen
Solomon’s days if he would walk in the Lord’s ways and keep his
commandments.
Paul, writing to the church at Colossae
in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), admonished
believers to live according to the Christian virtues of compassion,
kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, forbearing and forgiving
each other as the Lord has forgiven us. Above all, we are to love one
another, which will promote unity and harmony. Remember to be thankful
to God for his many blessings. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you
richly as you teach and admonish one another in all wisdom and as you
praise and worship God in thankfulness…do everything in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (
Colossians 3:16-17).
The religious authorities murmured against Jesus because Jesus had said
that he was the true bread which came down from heaven (John 6:33-35).
The Jewish leaders thought that since they knew Jesus’ mother and
father, that Jesus’ claim to have come down from heaven could not be
true. Jesus replied that faith in him is indeed a mystery beyond human
understanding. God seeks to draw all people, but his “drawing” is not
coercive. Only those who respond to God's "drawing" and are open to
God’s teaching can believe in Jesus. No one who comes to Jesus will be
rejected (
John 6:37b).
Those who come in faith, Jesus promises to raise
up to eternal life at the Day of Judgment.
Solomon recognized and was thankful that the Lord had blessed him
already in the circumstances of his life. Solomon sought God’s will,
rather than his own selfish material interests. Because Solomon put
God’s will ahead of his own, God added the
blessings of wealth and honor which Solomon had not requested. The Lord
also promised Solomon that if Solomon would follow the Lord’s ways and
keep his commands, the Lord would add the gift of long life.
The ways that the Lord wants us to follow are the ways of love,
compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance and
forgiveness. The Lord’s desire is for our good. We can’t have the good
life that the Lord desires for us if we disobey his will. When we
recognize the great blessings the Lord has given us we will respond to
God with thanksgiving and praise.
Jesus is the gift, from God our Father in heaven, which we desperately
need, which God gave us before we realized we needed it (Romans 5:8).
God alone is able to give us the wisdom we need to believe in Jesus and
come to him. God wants to bless us, if we will let him. Jesus taught
that we should seek first God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness and
that then he would provide the material things we need as well (Matthew
6:31-33). God wants us to have life with him in Heaven forever: That’s
really long life! Jesus himself is the bread of life which comes down
from heaven. Jesus is God’s gift to us which will give us true life and
sustain us for all eternity. Have you received God's Christmas present
for you?
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